The problem(s) with Trumps NIH chief also serving as Trumps CDC director
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NIH Director Bhattacharya Named Acting CDC Chief
Is Bhattacharya's CDC appointment reckless contempt for science or a restoration of credibility and public trust?
Above: NIH Director Jayanta Bhattacharya a committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Feb. 3. Image credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
From the beginning, the Trump administration should never have appointed Bhattacharya anywhere near public office. His record, as exemplified by the Great Barrington Declaration, made him unfit for any role. Yet, in an act of supreme recklessness, the administration has not only named him NIH director but acting CDC director, too, exposing its contempt for medical science.
Pro-Trump narrative
Bhattacharya's appointment as acting CDC director addresses years of federal overreach and will restore credibility to an institution that has lost public trust due to its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. By elevating a qualified critic of the absurd lockdown policies, the Trump administration has signaled to the American people that the CDC has learned from its past mistakes.
The Controversies
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0