A former aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accidentally struck his car after being dismissed from her post, according to officials.
Hannah Anderson, who had served as deputy chief of staff for policy, was let go in June after only a few months on the job. She was dismissed alongside Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson during a broader leadership shakeup at HHS. The department has seen multiple senior officials depart as Secretary Kennedy works to realign policy with President Trump’s agenda, the Daily Beast reported.
Following her dismissal, Anderson was reportedly distraught and accidentally backed her vehicle into Kennedy’s. The incident was noted in a Wall Street Journal profile detailing internal challenges within the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. The piece also highlighted the departure of Dr. Vinay Prasad, who had served as the FDA’s top vaccine official and head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Prasad was forced out in July following criticism from independent journalist Laura Loomer. During his tenure, he clashed with Sarepta Therapeutics and halted shipments of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug. He was later reinstated after Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary convinced White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to approve his return, the WSJ said.
In another high-profile change, CDC Director Susan Monarez resigned after less than a month in the role, with several senior staff members leaving soon after. Monarez had disagreed with Kennedy on vaccine policy, and the White House later stated that she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda.” Her departure came shortly after a Daily Beast report suggested the administration was considering removing COVID-19 mRNA vaccines “within months.”
The WSJ further reported that Kennedy’s push to restrict glyphosate, the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, has drawn pushback inside the administration. Concerns were raised about potential food supply disruptions, leading the White House to direct Kennedy earlier this year to drop the issue. He has largely remained quiet on the matter since.
Amid these disputes, President Trump on Monday pressed pharmaceutical companies to prove the effectiveness of their COVID-19 treatments.
“It is very important that the drug companies justify the success of their various Covid drugs. Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it now,” he continued. “I have been shown information from Pfizer, and others, that is extraordinary, but they never seem to show those results to the public. Why not?”
“They go off to the next ‘hunt’ and let everyone rip themselves apart, including Bobby Kennedy Jr. and CDC, trying to figure out the success or failure of the drug companies covid work. They show me great numbers and results, but they don’t seem to be showing them to many others,” Trump added.
“I want them to show them now, to CDC and the public, and clear up this mess, one way or the other! I hope Operation Warp Speed was brilliant as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why?”
Meanwhile, nine former CDC directors and acting directors released a statement Monday criticizing Kennedy’s leadership and his role in the departure of Monarez.
Stay tuned to Patriot Culture Alert for any updates.
