Trump Expected to Select White House Aide Heidi Overton to Lead FDA

President Donald J. Trump is expected to select Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, as his nominee for FDA commissioner.¹

Overton has served in the White House since January 2025 and has been involved in the administration's health policy agenda, working with HHS on issues including changes to the childhood vaccine recommendations and drug-pricing initiatives.^1,2 She stood behind Trump when he signed an executive order August 10 directing HHS to pursue changes to the childhood immunization schedule, including reducing the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children and separating the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into individual components. The order drew criticism from Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD (R, Louisiana).²

If confirmed, Overton would replace acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas, JD, who has led the agency since May 15, 2026, following the resignation of Marty Makary, MD, MPH. Makary's departure followed disagreements with the administration over several FDA policy issues, including vaping and abortion medication access.

People familiar with the search said officials considered a small group of finalists, including oncologist Jeff Vacirca, MD, FACP, CEO of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, before selecting Overton. Her supporters have pointed to her experience inside the administration and relationships with senior White House officials, while critics have questioned whether her policy background provides sufficient experience to run the FDA.^2,4

Credentials and Background

Overton earned a bachelor's degree through the University of New Mexico's combined BA/MD program and her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. She later earned a PhD in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed a general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins.^1,3

Overton and Makary were among the coauthors of a paper examining opioid prescribing that was published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in 2018.³ She is board-certified in public health and general preventive medicine.

She also was a 2019-2020 White House Fellow during Trump's first administration.³ Before returning to the White House, she served as chief policy officer and vice chair of the Center for a Healthy America at the America First Policy Institute.

A Contested Pick

The selection has drawn mixed reactions from health policy and industry observers. Analyst Chris Meekins, managing director, Raymond James, told Axios that Overton has impressive academic credentials but questioned whether she has sufficient experience managing a large organization, describing the selection as potentially “extremely troublesome” for the industry. Brian Blase, PhD, president of the Paragon Health Institute, praised Overton as “a great choice” and highlighted her character and policy experience.⁴

Some supporters of the administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda have also expressed frustration with Overton over her approach to certain priorities, including psychedelic policy, with disagreements cited among administration officials over the scope and pace of some of these initiatives.^2,4

An Agency Still Finding Its Footing

Overton would take over an FDA dealing with a multistate Cyclospora outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce. As of August 13, the FDA reported 9481 illnesses, 398 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths across 17 states in connection with the outbreak.² Food safety would therefore be among the major public health issues confronting the next commissioner, although Overton has not previously led the FDA's food-safety operations.

The agency has also experienced significant disruption during the Trump administration, including layoffs and staff departures. Diamantas has sought to stabilize the agency during his tenure.

The administration's approach to peptides could present another major challenge. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has advocated for changes to the regulatory framework surrounding some emerging therapies and compounds, while FDA officials have raised scientific and regulatory concerns about certain products. The disagreement could test how Overton balances White House priorities with the agency's regulatory and scientific responsibilities.

Confirmation Outlook

Overton's nomination will require Senate confirmation and is expected to be considered by HELP, whose chair Cassidy lost the Louisiana Republican primary earlier this year but remains in the Senate.^1,2 Cassidy has challenged several Trump administration health policies and nominees, and his criticism of the administration's recent vaccine order could increase scrutiny of Overton's role in implementing the administration's health agenda. Whether that opposition translates into resistance to her nomination remains to be seen.

References

1. Lawrence L, Payne D. Trump expected to pick White House adviser Heidi Overton to lead FDA. STAT. August 18, 2026. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/18/heidi-overton-fda-commissioner-nominee-white-house-adviser/
2. Cancryn A, Owermohle S. Trump expected to pick Dr. Heidi Overton to lead FDA. CNN. Updated August 19, 2026. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/18/health/fda-commissioner-heidi-overton
3. Overton expected to be next FDA commissioner. Food Safety News. August 19, 2026. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/overton-expected-to-be-next-fda-commissioner/
4. Owens C. Trump to tap White House aide as FDA commissioner. Axios. August 18, 2026. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/trump-heidi-overton-fda-commissioner