US Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary is out, Trump says

⁠US Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said, the latest leadership change at the federal health department which comes after weeks of public speculation and a mounting pressure campaign.

FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will lead the agency in an acting capacity, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Politico first reported the development.

“Marty is a terrific guy, but he’s ‌going to go on and he’s going to lead a good life. He was having some difficulty,” Trump told reporters. “The assistant, the deputy is taking over temporarily until we find someone.”

Makary’s departure follows weeks of intensifying pressure from powerful Republicans, anti-abortion groups, and The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, all while he clashed with top officials at the White House and Department of Health and Human Services, according to the sources and three other sources.

On Friday, various outlets reported that Trump had signed off on a plan to fire him.

The White House has not yet found ⁠someone to replace Makary on a permanent basis, according to the first two sources and one of the three other sources. That, in large part, had delayed ‌the White House’s plans to fire Makary on Friday, the three people said.