Dr. Demetre Daskalakis resigned from the CDC in a scathing letter condemning Trump and RFK Jr.’s politicization of public health, warning that their anti-science policies endanger children, pregnant people, and vulnerable populations, sparking outrage, resignations across the agency, and urgent questions about the future of U.S. health policy.

in a dramatic and unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through washington and the public health community, dr.

demetre daskalakis, a top official at the centers for disease control and prevention, formally resigned from his post, delivering a scathing letter that directly criticized former president donald trump and hhs secretary robert f.

kennedy jr.

for what he called a “political weaponization” of the cdc.

the resignation, confirmed this monday at cdc headquarters in atlanta, comes on the heels of mounting tension within the agency over controversial policy directives and what daskalakis describes as “the systematic dismantling of scientific integrity” under the trump administration.

in his letter, daskalakis did not hold back, stating: “enough is enough.

i am unable to serve in an environment that treats the cdc as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.”

he continued, “having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page-long posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function,” directly implicating trump and rfk jr.

in creating a politicized environment that undermines the agency’s core mission.

daskalakis’s letter highlighted his concerns about the impact of these policies on vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant people, and marginalized communities.

he accused rfk jr.’s hhs of “radical non-transparency and unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end,” warning that such actions could push the united states toward “a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive.”

he further criticized the sidelining of career scientists, claiming that critical public health data were being withheld or twisted to satisfy political aims, a practice he called “life threatening” for the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

he also directly called out the trump administration’s focus on political optics over scientific rigor, stating, “i am not sure who the secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us at the cdc.

unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources hhs use over the gold standard science of cdc and other reputable sources.”

daskalakis’s condemnation extended to recent vaccine recommendations, which he described as dangerously altered in ways that could result in “death and disability of vulnerable children and adults.”

he concluded the letter with a stark warning: “[trump and rfk jr.’s] desire to please a political base will result in death and disability.

their base should be the people they serve, not a political voting bloc.”

this explosive resignation follows closely on the heels of the controversial ousting of cdc director susan monarez, who had been fired just weeks into her tenure for refusing to comply with rfk jr.’s anti-science initiatives.

insiders report that multiple senior cdc officials have resigned or threatened to leave in protest, signaling deep fractures within the nation’s premier public health agency.

washington sources describe the developments as unprecedented in modern public health history, with morale at the cdc reportedly at an all-time low and political tensions reaching a boiling point.

the resignation letter has already ignited widespread discussion on social media and news outlets, with public health experts lauding daskalakis for his “heroic moral stand” against the politicization of science.

one senior epidemiologist commented, “it’s rare to see someone at this level take such a clear and courageous stance; it sends a message that integrity still matters in public health.” critics of trump and rfk jr.

say this event underscores concerns about the administration’s approach to evidence-based policy and the potential risks to national health, especially regarding vaccine safety, pandemic preparedness, and protection of vulnerable populations.

additionally, sources within the cdc indicate that internal communications have grown increasingly tense, with staff reportedly being asked to align their work with public statements and social media posts rather than peer-reviewed science.

according to leaked memos, career scientists and epidemiologists were instructed to “adjust messaging” in ways that staff feared could endanger lives, further fueling resignations and public outcry.

as the nation absorbs the implications of daskalakis’s departure, questions remain about the future leadership of the cdc and the broader hhs.

policy analysts are closely monitoring whether the agency can maintain credibility amid these upheavals, and whether further resignations or whistleblower revelations might follow.

the resignation has sparked urgent discussions in congress, with several members calling for hearings to investigate claims of political interference in public health operations.dr.daskalakis’s decision to resign in protest is being widely viewed not just as a career move, but as a principled stand against the undermining of science and public safety, marking a critical moment in the ongoing debate over the politicization of america’s health institutions and highlighting the tension between scientific integrity and political agendas.