Trump nominates Heidi Overton to lead US Food and Drug Administration

What the report says

US President Donald Trump has nominated Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration, a key federal agency that regulates food safety, medicines and public health. Al Jazeera reported that Trump announced the pick on social media on Wednesday, calling Overton a trusted aide who has worked with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration figures on what he described as a major health policy agenda.

Overton is a physician and policy professional who previously served as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank aligned with Trump’s priorities. According to the report, she also has a medical degree from the University of New Mexico and a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. Trump said she would advance “America First” policies at the FDA and help him pursue goals including lower drug prices.

The nomination comes after the FDA’s previous leader, Marty Makary, resigned in May, leaving the post open pending Senate confirmation of a successor. The article noted that the Trump administration has faced tension with health agencies over efforts to revise long-standing scientific positions, especially on vaccines. Al Jazeera also said Overton has taken positions critical of abortion pills, making her selection notable for reproductive health policy as well as broader FDA regulation.