Former Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz has been nominated by Donald Trump to take over leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The president praised her on Truth Social, stating, “She is a STAR!” However, Schwartz’s appointment requires Senate confirmation before she can assume control of an agency that has been without a permanent director for the past eight months amidst ongoing turmoil.
The last confirmed director of the CDC, Susan Monarez, was appointed in July but was dismissed within weeks following disagreements with Trump regarding his vaccine policies. Since her departure, the agency has experienced a significant turnover of senior public health officials, many of whom have accused the health secretary of politicizing the organization and undermining the autonomy of its leaders.
Currently, Jay Bhattacharya, who also oversees the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has been serving as the interim director of the CDC since February. In addition to Schwartz’s nomination, Trump announced that Sean Slovenski will be appointed as the CDC’s deputy director, and Jennifer Shuford will take on the role of chief medical officer.
During a recent event in Las Vegas, Trump commented on the situation in Iran, stating, “the war in Iran is going along swimmingly, we can do whatever we want,” yet he did not address the U.S. military’s inability to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump was in Las Vegas to highlight what he termed the significant benefits of a tax cut for tipped workers included in the 2025 tax and spending proposal known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He expressed gratitude to the modest crowd for their support in winning Nevada, claiming a decisive victory, although he won by a margin of only 46,008 votes over Kamala Harris.
Prior to his remarks, a correspondent from Reuters reported that Nevada Democrats indicated their support for the reduced tax on tips, yet noted its limited duration, which differs from other tax policies that primarily advantage wealthy individuals. The tax cut for tipped workers is set to expire in 2028.
Before disembarking from Air Force One for his event, Trump used the last hour of his flight to engage in a flurry of social media activity, posting ten times. He criticized opponents of his Iran policy, including Tucker Carlson and Joe Kent, expressed frustration over a federal judge halting the construction of a White House ballroom, and concluded with a plea for the militant group Hezbollah to seek peace with Israel, amid ongoing violence in the region.
Trump conveyed, “I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well,” a notably softer tone compared to his remarks regarding domestic critics of his Iran strategy. In one of his lengthy posts, he questioned the intelligence of Carlson and Kent, falsely claiming he had little familiarity with Kent, despite previously endorsing him in two failed congressional campaigns.
In his post, Trump recounted a meeting with Kent during a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, where he expressed sympathy for Kent, who had recently lost his wife. However, he omitted details of having encouraged Kent to run for Congress during that encounter.
In related news, the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into Eric Swalwell following his resignation from Congress amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations. This investigation comes shortly after the California representative stepped down due to claims made by a former staff member, who alleged that he had sexually assaulted her on two occasions. Additional reports have surfaced, including accusations from three other women regarding unwanted sexual messages.
On the day following Swalwell’s resignation, Lonna Drewes publicly accused him of drugging and raping her in 2018 during a press conference in Beverly Hills, further complicating the former representative’s already troubled situation.
