NEW: FLORIDA Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is now under consideration for President Trump's CDC director. pic.twitter.com/SXkA33wwOf
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 23, 2025
I HIGHLY recommend moving Ladapo to the CDC. He absolutely nailed the COVID response.
Ladapo is currently working in Florida to help counties…
CBS NEWS
Florida’s controversial surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, and a former Texas Republican congressman, Dr. Michael Burgess, are each being backed by some of President Trump’s allies to be the next head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The White House is searching for a replacement after the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Florida congressman, was abruptly pulled last week.
White House officials have said internally that they are trying to “get it right” with their next pick, multiple administration officials said, seeking to address concerns about a prolonged vacancy at the agency or the prospect of another embarrassing about-face. Some potential contenders have also turned down offers for the role, federal health officials said.
The president’s pick will be the first CDC director to undergo the Senate confirmation process after a change passed by Congress in 2022.
Any nominee will face tough questions over a range of health threats now facing the agency, including a rise in measles cases driven by a record outbreak among undervaccinated communities in Texas and neighboring states.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees the CDC, has faced condemnation for his remarks downplaying the virus and inflating the risks posed by the measles vaccine. Kennedy has also faced criticism from experts over other health threats that the CDC is now responding to, including the growing bird flu outbreak.
They would also likely face questions on other moves by the Trump administration at the CDC, including cuts to the agency’s staff and programs, a new study into whether vaccines are linked to autism and a canceled meeting of the agency’s immunization advisers.
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo
As Florida’s surgeon general since 2021, Dr. Joseph Ladapo has drawn controversy on a number of issues, including contradicting federal guidance on COVID vaccines and for his handling of local measles outbreaks. But he has some prominent supporters.
Dr. David Weldon said Thursday, a week after his own nomination was pulled, that Ladapo should be at the top of President Trump’s list to lead the CDC.
Weldon’s backing of Dr. Joseph Ladapo comes days after Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis renewed his own support of the state’s top doctor for the slot.
“I thoroughly support Dr. Ladapo for CDC director. He should be at the top of President Trump’s list. He has done a great job for us here in Florida and his education and experience make him the perfect choice,” Weldon said in a statement to CBS News.
Ladapo’s prospects to be confirmed in the Senate could be steep, given his past record rejecting the CDC and Food and Drug Administration’s COVID vaccine recommendations and for telling parents at the height of a measles outbreak that they could send unvaccinated children to school.