Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has delivered a swift blow to Biden-era health officials by firing the wife of former COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Several other Fauci allies have also been removed or reassigned as part of a major leadership purge at NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking a decisive end to the COVID-era leadership that locked down America.
Kennedy, a longtime critic of the federal health establishment, is making good on his campaign promises to overhaul America’s public health agencies.
The dismissals have specifically targeted officials who played key roles in the COVID vaccine development and distribution, as well as those with close ties to Fauci.
Christine Grady, who served as the chief of bioethics at the NIH Clinical Center, was among the department casualties.
This move effectively removes her from the power center of federal health policy, where she and her husband wielded enormous influence during the pandemic.
The leadership shake-up has also included cuts to divisions focused on HIV and sexually transmitted diseases – areas where Fauci gained prominence decades ago.
These changes represent a fundamental restructuring of priorities within agencies that conservatives have criticized for pushing vaccine mandates and lockdown policies that damaged the economy and infringed on personal liberties.
“The reality is clear: what we’ve been doing isn’t working,” Kennedy stated regarding the overhaul.
He emphasized his vision to transform agencies from promoting “sick care” to prevention-focused operations.
The changes have shocked the public health establishment, with many Fauci supporters expressing outrage.
Michael Osterholm, who served on Joe Biden’s COVID advisory board, dramatically claimed, “This is the darkest day that I’ve had in 50 years of public health.”
Kennedy has appointed new leadership that shares his vision for reforming these agencies.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary – both vocal critics of Fauci’s approach to the pandemic – have pledged to refocus public health priorities and encourage diverse perspectives within the agencies.
“It’s like a Fauci fixation,” complained Dr. Eric Topol from the Scripps Research Translational Institute, highlighting the establishment’s frustration with Kennedy’s determination to dismantle Fauci’s legacy.
Critics of the firings worry about America’s preparedness for future health crises.
Still, supporters see the changes as long-overdue accountability for bureaucrats who mismanaged the COVID response, imposed mandates, and silenced alternative viewpoints.
Many conservatives view removing Fauci’s inner circle, including his wife, as a necessary step to restore trust in public health institutions.
