Trump Nominates Former Deputy Surgeon General as CDC Director

On Thursday, President Trump nominated former Deputy Surgeon General, Dr. Erica Schwartz, for the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Details: On Truth Social, Trump called Schwartz "a STAR," describing her as "incredibly talented." Schwartz previously served as Trump's Deputy Surgeon General from January 2019 to April 2021. Her nomination requires Senate confirmation. Trump also announced three health position appointments on Thursday, including a CDC deputy director and chief operating officer, a chief medical officer and a senior counselor for public health to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..

For Context: Schwartz spent 24 years in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and has both a medical degree and law degree. The director position is currently being temporarily overseen by Directors Jim O'Neill and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya after the previous director, Susan Monarez, was fired in August. Monarez was fired 29 days into her role after the Trump administration said she wasn't "aligned with their agenda."

How the Media Covered It: Outlets on the right generally noted Schwartz's previous role in the administration and mentioned other public health appointees. Several outlets on the left framed Schwartz's appointment within her years of healthcare experience and pro-vaccine stance. New York Times (Lean Left bias) said Schwartz is "the strongest signal yet that the administration is veering away from vaccine skepticism" amid midterms. Washington Examiner (Lean Right) was the only right-leaning outlet AllSides found to mention Schwartz's vaccine stance. The Hill (Center) described Schwartz's professional background, including that it "remains unclear" whether she is still president of insurance solutions for UnitedHealthCare.

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