The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has resigned in protest over the mass firings at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration. While the resignation has raised alarms among those who view the sweeping personnel changes as politically motivated, the Trump White House quickly fired back, calling the shake-up a necessary step to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in a government agency that had long been criticized for its bureaucratic red tape.
Jim Jones resigned from his post at the FDA following President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate thousands of employees within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including many involved in the FDA's food programs. In his resignation letter, Jones expressed that the mass layoffs made it "fruitless" for him to remain in his position.
“I was looking forward to working to pursue the department’s agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food,” Jones wrote.
He cited the 89 "indiscriminate" layoffs within the Human Foods Program as the primary reason for his resignation. Those laid off included nutrition, infant formula, and food safety response employees.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration’s firings, saying that the president only focuses on hiring the “best and most qualified people” to lead such agencies.
“President Trump is only interested in the best and most qualified people who are also willing to implement his America First Agenda on behalf of the American people,” Leavitt said in a statement. “It’s not for everyone, and that’s okay.”
This comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in last week and has long been critical of the agency.
Last year, Kennedy accused the agency of waging a “war on public health” by failing to approve unproven treatments such as psychedelics, stem cells, and chelation therapy. He has also called for the elimination of thousands of chemicals and colorings from U.S. foods.
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