STAT+: White House pulls nomination of Dave Weldon as CDC director hours before hearing
The White House has pulled the nomination of Dave Weldon as CDC director hours before he was set to appear for his confirmation hearing.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration withdrew the nomination of Dave Weldon as its pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hours before he was scheduled to appear for a crucial hearing, fearing his long track record of criticizing vaccines would jeopardize his chances of winning confirmation.
“There were not the votes,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the health committee before which Weldon would have appeared, told reporters. Cassidy said he didn’t speak with the White House before the nomination was pulled, and added that the White House made the decision.
Weldon’s withdrawal was a rare setback for a Trump nominee, and for the broader Make America Healthy Again movement. While both Republicans and Democrats scrutinized the vaccine criticism espoused by Trump’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he ultimately assuaged their concerns and was confirmed.
