Thiel ally takes CDC reins as Kennedy purges leadership

Susan Monarez was removed as CDC director on Aug. 27, 2025. Reporters said she resisted vaccine-policy changes ordered by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her departure came within weeks of her Senate confirmation, catching agency staff and public-health experts off guard.

HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill was named acting CDC director on Aug. 28, 2025. Kennedy tapped his deputy to lead the agency after Monarez's removal. O'Neill will serve temporarily while officials search for a permanent director, but no timeline has been announced.

O'Neill has a private-sector background in venture investing and has worked with funds linked to Peter Thiel. He co-founded the Thiel Fellowship and held executive positions at Thiel-affiliated investment firms. Those ties have prompted conflict-of-interest concerns among public-health experts and government watchdogs.

Several senior CDC officials resigned or announced departures after Monarez's firing. Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry resigned on Aug. 28, 2025, and warned staff about rising misinformation in internal messages. Officials say the departures have disrupted agency operations during a sensitive leadership transition.

O'Neill has publicly advocated for loosening FDA rules around drug approvals and diagnostic testing. He's argued that faster approval pathways could accelerate innovation in biotechnology and medical devices. Critics worry these positions could create conflicts of interest given his investment background and Silicon Valley ties.

The Thiel Fellowship pays young entrepreneurs around $100,000 to leave college and build startups. O'Neill helped design the program, which has become a symbol of Silicon Valley's skepticism toward traditional education. Critics see the fellowship as a pipeline for tech elites to recruit talent loyal to their worldview.

Mass resignations at CDC followed a pattern seen in other Kennedy personnel moves at HHS. Multiple senior officials across different HHS agencies have departed since Kennedy took office. The departures have raised concerns about institutional knowledge loss and the erosion of scientific expertise in public-health decision-making.

O'Neill lacks a medical degree and isn't a career public-health clinician, breaking with recent CDC director norms. Most recent permanent CDC directors have had medical or scientific credentials. Legal experts say there's no statutory requirement for medical training, but professional public-health organizations have expressed concern about the precedent.