Marty Makary stepped down as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, ending his 13-month tenure at the agency [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's deputy commissioner for food, will serve as acting commissioner following Makary’s departure [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9].

Makary’s resignation came amid growing pressure from President Donald Trump, White House officials, Republicans, and anti-abortion advocacy groups [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 8, 9]. Reports emerged earlier on May 12 that Trump had signed off on a plan to fire Makary, though Makary resigned himself shortly after the news became public [1, 2, 3, 7, 9]. Trump acknowledged the leadership change, calling Makary “a terrific guy” who “was having some difficulty,” and noted Diamantas would temporarily take over until a permanent replacement is found [2].

During his tenure, Makary faced clashes over FDA policies, particularly over e-cigarettes and abortion drugs. He initially resisted approving fruit-flavored vaping products but was overridden by Trump and the White House, contributing to tensions between the commissioner and the administration [1, 3, 6, 10, 8]. Anti-abortion groups strongly criticized Makary for not reinstating in-person dispensing of mifepristone and for approving a generic version of the abortion pill, accusing him of enabling wider access to what they called “child-killing drugs” [1, 5, 6, 10, 9]. Live Action president Lila Rose demanded that Trump and Health Secretary Kennedy remove Makary and end "the mail order abortion scheme" [9]. Senators Josh Hawley and Bill Cassidy also condemned Makary for undermining pro-life efforts [10].

Makary’s leadership faced internal challenges within the FDA, including criticism over vaccine policies, rejection of certain rare disease drugs, and organizational disruptions [1, 4, 5, 6, 7]. His resignation was delivered via text message to Trump, as the former president shared on social media [3, 11].

Following Makary's exit, the FDA announced a reshuffle of leadership in its drug and biologics centers, installing new acting directors in those divisions [12].

Makary’s departure is the fourth high-profile resignation from the Trump administration in 2026 [8]. Diamantas currently leads the FDA while the search for a permanent commissioner continues [2].