A new policy rolled out on Tuesday will limit recommendations for an annual COVID-19 booster shot to the elderly and to children and younger adults who have at least one health condition that puts them at greater risk for developing severe disease.
According to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-fda-kennedy-covid-shots-rfk-trump-bb4de15b6ff955d6cd0b406aaec3cdc5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday morning by The Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would recommend annual booster shots for adults over the age of 65 in addition to younger adults and children whose pre-existing conditions or health concerns put them at greater risk of hospitalization or death from contracting COVID-19.
An <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2506929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> published on Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine provides a framework for developing and testing annual vaccines that might eventually be offered to generally healthy people who don&#8217;t fall into the currently recommended age and risk categories.
&#8220;For all healthy persons — those with no risk factors for severe Covid-19 — between the ages of 6 months and 64 years, the FDA anticipates the need for randomized, controlled trial data evaluating clinical outcomes before Biologics License Applications can be granted,&#8221; the article read. &#8220;Insofar as possible, when approving a Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, the FDA will encourage manufacturers to conduct randomized, controlled trials in the population of healthy adults as part of their postmarketing commitment.&#8221;
The article, titled &#8220;An Evidence-Based Approach to COVID-19 Vaccination&#8221; and written by FDA Commissioner Marty Makari and Dr. Vinay Prasad, noted that COVID vaccine recommendations in European nations already reflected a move toward protecting the elderly and those at greatest risk rather than blanket coverage of the entire population, and their goal was to shift the United States to a similar standard.
&#8220;The FDA’s new Covid-19 philosophy represents a balance of regulatory flexibility and a commitment to gold-standard science. The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk. These clinical trials will inform future directions for the FDA, but more important, they will provide information that is desperately craved by health care providers and the American people.&#8221;

President Trump Signs Executive Orders At The White House

FDA Will No Longer Approve Annual COVID Vaccine For Younger, Healthy Patients

COVID-19 Vaccine

Donald Trump

Health

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is removing from the market prescription drug products for children that contain concentrated ingestible fluoride, the agency announced this past week.
The FDA cited studies that suggest a connection between ingested fluoride in children and lower IQ, weight gain, and thyroid issues.
&#8220;Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers,&#8221; a press release from the agency said. &#8220;They have also never been approved by the FDA.&#8221;
&#8220;Ingested fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome, which is of magnified concern given the early development of the gut microbiome in childhood,&#8221; the press release added. &#8220;Other studies have suggested an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ.&#8221;
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said it&#8217;s vital that the FDA &#8220;err on the side of safety&#8221; when it comes to our children.
&#8220;The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome. For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health,” the commissioner said in a statement. “I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, the FDA is taking action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. A growing body of research is demonstrating how ingested fluoride can alter the gut microbiome. This is especially concerning with young children… <a href="https://t.co/pKTtkGyV3J">pic.twitter.com/pKTtkGyV3J</a>
— Dr. Martin Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA/status/1922412396766785898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. applauded Makary for the action.
&#8220;Thank you, [Dr. Marty Makary] for your leadership on this issue,&#8221; he posted to X on Saturday. &#8220;A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream, peer-reviewed data. Yes, when it comes to children, we should always err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> for your leadership on this issue. A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream,… <a href="https://t.co/zLpV90d628">https://t.co/zLpV90d628</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1923742771581423787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy has been a long-time critic of the addition of fluoride to the public water supply. Since RFK Jr. took over as secretary of HHS, a number of states have taken steps to remove the chemical from public drinking water. So far, Utah and Florida have officially banned the chemical.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-raises-larger-issues-desantis-bans-fluoride-in-florida-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘It Raises Larger Issues’: DeSantis Bans Fluoride In Florida Water</a>

HHS Secretary Kennedy Holds News Conference On Synthetic Dyes In Food Supply

FDA Makes Big Announcement On Fluoride

Florida

U.S.

Utah

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers on Wednesday that he has requested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do a &#8220;complete review&#8221; of the abortion pill.
The announcement was welcomed by pro-life conservatives, who previously wondered how RFK Jr., a former Democrat, would respond to abortion-related issues, having previously said that while he believes every abortion is a “tragedy,” the issue is “more nuanced and complex.”
During Wednesday&#8217;s Senate committee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked RFK Jr. if he was aware of a new analysis from the Ethics &amp; Public Policy Center indicating that mifepristone is many times more dangerous than the FDA says on the label for the abortion pill, and he said he was.
&#8220;It&#8217;s alarming,&#8221; RFK Jr. told Hawley.
&#8220;Clearly, it indicates that at the very least the label should be changed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve asked Marty Makary, who&#8217;s the director of the FDA, to do a complete review and to report back.&#8221;
RFK Jr. also said that he did not yet have a sense of the timeline of the review.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RFK Jr. says he has asked FDA to do a thorough review of mifepristone in light of a study indicating serious side effects could be 22x more common than the FDA says <a href="https://t.co/kHLNGqsdeA">pic.twitter.com/kHLNGqsdeA</a>
&mdash; Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyakopp/status/1922739876417445997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> released last month found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
That is about 22 times higher than what the FDA listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
Meanwhile, more than one in 20 women need a second abortion attempt after the abortion pill fails, another analysis of insurance claim data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+Than+1+in+20+Women+Need+Second+Abortion+Attempt+After+Abortion+Pill+Fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> this week showed.
&#8220;We&#8217;re very thankful for this announcement from Secretary Kennedy. We encourage the FDA to conduct its own study to best ensure that women are given an honest and clear presentation of the dangers of the abortion pill,&#8221; Ryan Anderson, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and one of the authors of the analysis told The Daily Wire.
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen — mifepristone, usually followed by misoprostol — aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
A few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in person from a healthcare provider, allowing them to get them online through the mail.
“We applaud Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his swift directive to FDA for a thorough study of the dangerous chemical abortion pill,” Doug Truax, founder of Foundation for the Restoration of America, which put out another report on the abortion pill&#8217;s &#8220;serious adverse events&#8221; told The Daily Wire.
“The health and safety of women is at risk and we can’t allow ideology to trump science,” Truax said.
Last year, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-challenges-rfk-jr-on-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> Kennedy Jr. on abortion during an interview, telling him that abortion is “not just a tragedy. It’s a crime against the child because the child has an independent interest. What do you say to that?”
“I say that I understand that position, and I don’t agree with it,” Kennedy responded, adding that he believes “the solution of having the state come in and dictate choices that a woman is making is not a good solution.”
RFK Jr. appeared before both Senate and House committees on Wednesday to defend President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed budget cuts to the HHS, which RFK Jr. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/rfk-jr-hhs-overhaul-hearing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> would be &#8220;painful&#8221; but would save money “without impacting critical services.”

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Testifies On Budget During House And Senate Hearings On Wednesday

RFK Jr. Wants ‘Complete Review’ Of Abortion Pill, Says Prescription Label Downplays Risks

RFK Says He Has Asked FDA For 'Complete Review' Of Abortion Pill After Data On Dangers

Abortion

Department of Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services

Health Care

Medical Research

One of the most commonly prescribed abortion pharmaceuticals in the United States today is one of the most dangerous substances in the world, according to groundbreaking new research. Sadly, it&#8217;s not as polarizing a product as Ozempic or vaccines.
According to a <a href="https://eppc.org/news/largest-ever-study-of-abortion-pill-reveals-shocking-number-of-adverse-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombshell new study</a> using real-world data, the abortion pill is physically wounding thousands of women per year.
When the Food &amp; Drug Administration approved the abortion pill – mifepristone or Mifeprex – it was on the basis that clinical trials had shown a serious adverse event rate of less than 0.5%.
But the new research, which analyzed 865,727 mifepristone abortions between 2017-2023, found a serious adverse event rate of 11%. That&#8217;s twenty-two times higher than the figure cited on the drug label.
These adverse events are not mere side effects. Hemorrhage, sepsis, infection, cardiac distress, and incomplete abortions are part of the laundry list of complications suffered by women within 45 days of taking the abortion pill.
The figures come from an all-payer health claims database. Insurance companies don&#8217;t pay for things that didn&#8217;t happen. The research was published by the Ethics &amp; Public Policy Center, which has promised more is to come.
If these serious adverse events were caused by a common antibiotic or a diabetes medication, media outrage and mass public uproar would ensue. 
Reckless conduct in the service of political ideology got us here. In the final year of the Obama administration, the Department of Health and Human Services watered down safety regulations. They allowed the abortion pill to be prescribed by non-physicians, taken at home away from the watchful eye of medical professionals, and extended the maximum gestational age at which a child could be aborted from seven weeks to ten weeks.
The Biden administration took this ghoulish crusade a step further. In 2023, they removed virtually all safeguards to the extent that a woman can now order abortion pills online, take them at home, risk bleeding out, flush her aborted child down the toilet, and go it alone, all without ever seeing a doctor.
It is up to the new Trump administration to restore some sanity. President Trump has been notoriously fickle on abortion, as has his HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy.
<a href="https://catholicvote.org/catholicvote-joins-urges-trump-admin-to-reevaluate-abortion-pill/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGaJQObGcXkcfyZbJ7FjQNwks_nKJ9XiOo9VXl6pBbxneaC7Ri29G__kqN2XupSy1lr5nuPJN-ynFfzQylzGOSa83kCwwhMt68zcxRRaMq0ww">Just this week,</a> CatholicVote joined a coalition of 30 other pro-life organizations urging President Trump to re-evaluate the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone in light of the study’s disturbing discoveries.
Both Kennedy and newly-installed FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary have expressed a commitment to prioritizing women&#8217;s safety in regard to the abortion pill. Upon questioning from Sen. Steve Daines of Montana during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy promised to study the abortion pill and take action on any new developments. Dr. Makary has expressed similar rhetoric, although he <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/04/24/2025/fdas-marty-makary-no-plans-to-pull-abortion-pill-mifepristone">stated</a> in late April that he had &#8220;no plans&#8221; to restrict the pill until the data could be examined thoroughly.
The question now is whether health and safety will take priority over abortion absolutism. There are too many women suffering silently for the administration to do nothing.
* * *
Tommy Valentine is the Director of the Catholic Accountability Project at CatholicVote.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

Wyoming’s Only Abortion Clinic Forced To Stop Administering Abortions Due To New State Law

It’s Long Past Time To Re-Evaluate Chemical Abortion Pills

It's Long Past Time to Re-Evaluate Chemical Abortion Pills

Abortion Drug

Biden Administration

Catholics

Drugs

Obama Administration

Opinion

Pregnancy

Trump Administration

Major companies like PepsiCo and Tyson Foods are accelerating changes to their American recipes to more align with the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; agenda.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwbrand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with companies to phase out petroleum-based food dyes by the end of 2026, in addition to banning numerous other color additives.
The CEOs of both PepsiCo and Tyson Foods have said they will be ahead of schedule on such changes.
Ramon Laguarta, the head of PepsiCo, said on a recent conference call that he wants his company to lead the way on ridding products of artificial food dyes. PepsiCo makes drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, and owns the Frito-Lay brand, which makes Doritos, Lay&#8217;s, and Sun Chips, to name only a few popular products.
Specifically, brands like Lay’s and Tostitos will be rid of artificial colors by the end of 2025 &#8212; a year ahead of Kennedy&#8217;s planned phase-out.
“We’ve been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats,” Laguarta said on the call, Food Business News <a href="https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/28167-pepsico-to-accelerate-phaseout-of-artificial-ingredients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;When we talk about the US food business, 60%-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors, so we’re undergoing that transition,” he added. “For example, brands like Lay’s will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year, and the same with Tostitos — some of our big brands. So we’re well underway.”
Laguarta also said he stood by the safety of all PepsiCo products as they are now, but acknowledged that this shift to more natural ingredients is what consumers are asking for. In the next couple of years, all PepsiCo products will have natural colors, or, at the least, options for natural colors so the consumer can choose, Laguarta said. 
“Our products are very safe, and there’s nothing to worry about. But we understand that there’s probably going to be a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos.&#8221;
“But we’ll lead that transition, and in the next couple of years, we’ll have migrated all the portfolio into natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options,&#8221; the CEO added. &#8220;And every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer. So that’s the journey we’re undergoing.”
Donnie King, the CEO of Tyson Foods, which makes a number of chicken products and frozen foods, said the company will eliminate synthetic dyes from its products by the end of this month. 
&#8220;Just 13 days after [HHS] and the [FDA] announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May,&#8221; Secretary Kennedy celebrated on X. &#8220;I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just 13 days after <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSgov</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a> announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May. I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of… <a href="https://t.co/HUyKJCTN70">pic.twitter.com/HUyKJCTN70</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1919498755554083277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-in-100-days-how-trump-and-rfk-are-transforming-american-food-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America</a>

Doritos tortilla chips seen in a Target superstore

Major Food Companies Accelerate MAHA Changes To Recipes

Business

Food

The Trump administration on Monday moved to dismiss a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration’s lax abortion pill guidelines, which have opened the floodgates of dangerous mail-order abortions. 
The Justice Department said in a 15-page court filing that a suit from the Republican attorneys general of Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas challenging the FDA’s decision was not filed in the right location and should be dismissed. The red states argue that the FDA overlooked the dangers of the abortion pill when it relaxed guidelines in recent years to allow for the pills to be shipped through the mail. 
In his <a href="https://ecf.txnd.uscourts.gov/doc1/177117665842" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a>, Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakoth Roth mirrored the Biden administration&#8217;s position, which defended the FDA’s loose abortion pill regulations. He argued that the states’ “claims have no connection” to the U.S. District Court for Northern Texas, where the suit was filed.
The Trump administration&#8217;s decision will likely anger Republicans and pro-life advocates. As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, there are networks of leftist activists who ship abortion pills, often unregulated ones manufactured in foreign countries, into states where abortion is illegal. These networks send pills to anyone with access to a credit card and mailing address for less than $100. Purported users of the abortion pills often report on social media horror stories of doing the procedures, and recount stories of flushing large chunks of aborted babies down the toilet.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser urged the Trump administration to take steps to reign in the abortion pill, pointing out the documented dangers.
&#8220;At a minimum, the Trump administration should reverse the Biden FDA’s reckless nationwide mail-order <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/abortion-pills-fda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/abortion-pills-fda.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1746638991803000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3irGakSxGjGmPUIRCB_tSS">abortion drug policy</a>,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We urge the Trump administration to reinstate basic measures that require real medical oversight. Women and girls deserve better than high-risk drugs with no in-person doctor, no follow-up and no accountability.&#8221;
&#8220;This isn’t health care,&#8221; Dannenfelser added. &#8220;It’s harm.”
The case originated after the Republican attorneys general had interceded in another case brought by pro-life doctors concerned about the FDA guidelines on mifepristone and other abortion drugs. That case was later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-abortion-pill-in-setback-for-pro-life-movement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> by the Supreme Court, which said the doctors lacked standing, and the Republican officials revised their complaint. 
“At bottom, the States cannot keep alive a lawsuit in which the original plaintiffs were held to lack standing, those plaintiffs have now voluntarily dismissed their claims, and the States’ own claims have no connection to this District,” Roth wrote. “The States are free to pursue their claims in a District where venue is proper.”
Roth also wrote that the states failed &#8220;to identify any actual or imminent controversy over whether any of their laws are preempted.&#8221;
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey responded on Tuesday to the filing by pointing to evidence showing the established dangers of so-called self-managed abortions.
&#8220;Beyond a reasonable doubt, the evidence clearly establishes that mifepristone poses a grave risk to the health of women. The most recent study says 1 in 9 women who ingest this powerful chemical will end up in the ER or worse,&#8221; Bailey posted on X. &#8220;Regardless of which venue is proper for a lawsuit, Missouri will always fight to protect the health and safety of women and demand the FDA acknowledge the data and reinstate critical regulations to prevent the needless loss of human life.&#8221;
At the heart of the challenge to the FDA was the out-of-control abortion pill black market that has cropped up following the end of Roe v. Wade.
&#8220;Removing the in-person dispensing protections enabled a 50-state mail order abortion drug economy—a world where countless women in Plaintiff States receive abortion drugs by mail later in pregnancy with no in-person care and go the emergency room in Plaintiffs’ States,&#8221; the Republican AGs wrote in their suit.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: How A Leftist Network Of Websites Floods Red States With Abortion Pills With No Consequences</a>
In addition to ending the life of the unborn child, the abortion pill often has health consequences for the mother. One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a> found that over 11% of women had a &#8220;serious adverse&#8221; medical event after taking the pill, including things like hemorrhaging and sepsis.
Another study from the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scholars-continue-fight-against-journal-over-retraction-of-studies-showing-danger-of-abortion-pill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that the rate of emergency room visits following chemical abortions had spiked 500% from 2002-2015. That study was later redacted for political reasons ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the abortion pill, the study&#8217;s authors say.
Reacting to the news of the move to dismiss, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), an outspoken pro-life advocate, said that the administration was making a &#8220;serious mistake.&#8221;

US-NEWS-SCOTUS-ABORTION-PILL-NEWSOM-TB

‘Serious Mistake’: Trump Admin Moves To Dismiss Challenge To Mail-Order Abortion Pills

Department of Justice

The Trump administration shakes up its National Security Council, Senate Majority Leader John Thune lays out his plan to advance Trump’s agenda, and a new report reveals the abortion pill is much more dangerous than the FDA admits.
It’s Friday, May 2, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="National Security Shakeup &amp; Abortion Pill Dangers" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CpMXvS4RqSA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-shakeup-abortion-pill-dangers-5-2-25/id1576594336?i=1000705818450" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Security Leadership Shakeup</h2>
<div id="attachment_914959" style="width: 864px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914959" class="size-large wp-image-914959" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-854x576.jpg" alt="" width="854" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-854x576.jpg 854w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-1536x1036.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mike-Walz-2048x1382.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" />(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: As the Trump administration works to secure trade deals with China and end the war in Ukraine, the president announced a leadership shakeup at the White House.
On Thursday morning, numerous outlets reported that the president was firing his national security adviser, Mike Waltz. But hours later, Trump threw a major curveball, announcing that Waltz would be leaving his role as NSA, but would be nominated to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.
“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”
Waltz’s nomination as UN Ambassador shocked many people, but his removal as National Security Adviser was widely expected. Waltz was responsible for accidentally adding Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to that now-infamous Signal group chat. Trump initially stood by him following the scandal, but the pressure campaign to relieve Waltz reportedly grew as some within Trump’s inner circle expressed concerns that his more hawkish views did not reflect the America First foreign policy. But the fact that he’s staying on as UN Ambassador shows the president still views him as a valuable asset.
In the short term, the president announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take over the role of National Security Adviser. A long-term replacement will likely be promoted from within the Trump administration. Some names that have been floated include Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, National Security Council Director of Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, or Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
This week, the White House announced that after months of intense negotiations, they’d officially signed a long-awaited minerals deal with Ukraine. The agreement will create a new “reconstruction investment fund” managed fifty-fifty by the two countries. Moving forward, half of all revenues from new oil, gas and mineral projects in Ukraine will go into that fund, helping to pay the U.S. back for the billions we’ve sent towards their war effort.
<h2>Morning Wire Interviews Senate Majority Leader John Thune</h2>
<div id="attachment_914961" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914961" class="size-large wp-image-914961" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Thune-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the most powerful member of the Senate, sits down with Morning Wire.
In order to implement his America First agenda, President Trump will be heavily relying on the new Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan sat down with Thune this week to discuss the president’s first 100 days and how the Senate is backing Trump’s agenda.
Thune highlighted the importance of getting Trump’s cabinet nominations through the Senate quickly to enact the America First agenda, while also acknowledging the need for the legislature to pass several of the president’s proposed reforms into law.
“We confirmed his cabinet at the fastest rate in 20 years,” Thune said. “We’ve gotta start delivering on the legislative agenda, and that’s where you get into energy independence, where you get into rebuilding the military, securing the border, providing tax relief for the American people, and reducing spending and getting our country on a more sustainable fiscal path. Those are the things that we, the president campaigned on, and we need to deliver on for the American people.”
Thune also told The Daily Wire a few of his priorities for the next 100 days.
“There wasn&#8217;t a single year in the Biden administration where their commitment to the military kept up even with the rate of inflation. So we’ve fallen behind in a lot of areas. And President Trump recognizes that, recognizes that we live in a dangerous world and we’ve gotta be able to defend America and American interests. And so that’s a priority. And the border security, I would argue, is right up there with that, because that’s also, in my view, a national security issue. … On the economy, it’s getting rid of burdensome Biden regulations, extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts, and then creating an energy policy that makes America energy dominant. I think those are all issues that feed into a strong economy that creates better paying jobs and, and makes the lives of Americans more prosperous.”
<h2>Study: Abortion Pill Complications Much More Common Than The FDA Claims</h2>
<div id="attachment_914963" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-914963" class="size-large wp-image-914963" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-865x576.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Mifepristone.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />(Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The abortion pill is much more dangerous than the FDA claimed, with more than one in 10 women suffering serious complications.
In 2023, about 11.2% of women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill, according to new <a href="https://www.ffroa.com/chemical-abortion-research/">research</a> commissioned by the Foundation for the Restoration of America. That works out to about 17,310 women in 2023 alone. “Serious adverse events” can include hemorrhaging, requiring a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
Context: This is about 22x higher than what the FDA claimed on its label for Mifeprex (a brand name for mifepristone) in 2023 — the FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions.”
“If you had any other drug that was kind of similar in terms of the magnitude of what this thing does, anywhere north of 2% and they’d shut it down,” Doug Truax, founder of Foundation for the Restoration of America, told The Daily Wire. “They’re just hell bent on just increasing the amount of abortions.”
Mifepristone was originally approved by the FDA in 2000. For many years, women had to see a doctor in person to obtain the abortion pill, but a few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the FDA scrapped that requirement – now women can get it through the mail. This came as abortion advocates argued that the abortion pill should be more available to order online because some Republican-led states were looking to ban abortion. Medication abortions made up 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 31% in 2014, <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020">according</a> to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.

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The abortion pill is many times more dangerous than the FDA claimed, with more than one in 10 women suffering serious complications, a new study found.
About 11.2% of 154,554 women experienced a &#8220;serious adverse event&#8221; after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023, according to new <a href="https://www.ffroa.com/chemical-abortion-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> commissioned by the Foundation for the Restoration of America and released Monday.
That works out to about 17,310 women who suffered serious adverse events, which can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
This is about 22 times higher than what the FDA put on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023 — the FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered &#8220;serious adverse reactions&#8221; to mifepristone.
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen, mifepristone usually followed by misoprostol, aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman&#8217;s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
&#8220;This drastic difference between the disclosed risk and the actual risk to patients undermines informed consent and endangers the lives of pregnant women,&#8221; the researchers wrote, adding that policymakers and regulators should take action.
&#8220;This is much different than the lie that women have been told that these drugs are safer than Tylenol,&#8221; Dr. Christina Francis, a board-certified OBGYN who has been in practice for two decades, told The Daily Wire.
Plus, the research only analyzed data from insurance claims for government insurance like Medicare and Medicaid between 2017 and 2023, so the total number of women who suffered serious complications is likely even higher.
Over those six years, the number of chemical abortions jumped dramatically from less than 100,000 to over 150,000 a year, likely due to the drug&#8217;s increased availability online, the insurance claims data show.
Medication abortions are far more common than surgical abortions. Medication abortions made up 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 31% in 2014, <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
The abortion pill is likely the main factor driving up the country&#8217;s total number of abortions in recent years, even in the wake of the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Abortion advocates have argued that the abortion pill should be more available to order online now that some Republican-led states ban abortion.
A few months before Roe vs. Wade was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in person from a health provider, allowing them to obtain them online through the mail.
Afterward, Francis, the pro-life OBGYN, said one emergency doctor pulled her aside and asked, &#8220;What has changed because we&#8217;re seeing so many more women come in with these complications.&#8221;
Mifepristone was originally approved by the FDA in 2000.
&#8220;This bombshell report is further evidence that our government uses phony data and politicized science to lie to its people. In this case, those lies further political ideologies rather than the health, safety, and well-being of women and children,&#8221; Doug Truax, founder of the Foundation for the Restoration of America, which commissioned the study, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;If you had any other drug that was kind of similar in terms of the magnitude of what this thing does, anywhere north of 2% and they&#8217;d shut it down,&#8221; Truax said. 
&#8220;They&#8217;re just hell bent on just increasing the amount of abortions.&#8221;

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The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) top vaccine official, who played a key role in Operation Warp Speed, has reportedly been pushed out of the agency.
Dr. Peter Marks, who served as the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, submitted his resignation letter on Friday, after he was informed he would be fired if he didn&#8217;t resign, sources <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/top-vaccine-official-out-at-fda-f39a5a16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Wall Street Journal.
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“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Marks said in his resignation letter, referring to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“My hope is that during the coming years, the unprecedented assault on scientific truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation comes to an end,” Marks added.
An unnamed HHS official suggested Marks was pushed out because he refused to get on-board with Kennedy&#8217;s agenda. “If Peter Marks does not want to get behind restoring science to its golden standard and promoting radical transparency, then he has no place at FDA under the strong leadership of Secretary Kennedy,” the official told the Journal.
Marks was with the FDA since the Obama administration, starting in 2012. During his tenure, he oversaw vaccines, biotech drugs, and blood products, and helped ensure that vaccines were effective and safe. His resignation takes effect on April 5.
The ouster follows numerous vaccine-related moves from RFK. As previously reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mahas-latest-wins-on-fluoride-food-and-vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, under Kennedy&#8217;s leadership, the National Institutes of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/10/vaccines-nih-rfk-research-canceled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health</a> will stop spending money to find out why Americans are hesitant to take vaccines. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is studying whether there is any link between vaccinations and the rise in autism.
Kennedy announced this week that he’s restructuring HHS and terminating tens of thousands of employees. “What I found when I came to HHS, is really a sprawling bureaucracy. We have over 100 communications departments — we should have one. We have 40 IT departments, 40 procurement departments, dozens of HR departments,” Kennedy <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1905403551024554014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Daily Wire host Michael Knowles</a>. “And that is where we’re doing the cuts. We’re going down from 82,000 personnel to 62,000.”
“We’re keeping the scientists, we’re keeping the front-line providers,” he added. “We trying to do our best, not only to serve as stewards of the taxpayer money, but also to make the agency more efficient.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doge-meets-hhs-rfk-jr-to-terminate-20000-bureaucrats-restructure-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘DOGE Meets HHS’: RFK Jr. To Terminate 20,000 Bureaucrats, Restructure Department</a>
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unveiled a new tool that allows people to look up chemical contaminants in foods from a large database.
The database was created to give Americans more transparency and &#8220;modernize&#8221; food chemical safety, a press release from Health and Human Services (HHS) said.
“HHS is committed to radical transparency to give Americans authentic, informed consent about what they are eating,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/hhs-fda-announce-chemical-contaminants-transparency-tool-foods">statement</a> Thursday. “This new Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool is a critical step for industry to Make America Healthy Again.”
The tool, which can be <a href="https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=contaminant-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accessed here</a>, includes tolerances, action levels, guidance levels, derived intervention levels, recommended maximum levels, and advisory levels of contaminants. Some of the contaminants included in the database are Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, a synthetic pesticide; Chlordane, an organochlorine pesticide; and Aldrin and Dieldrin, which are both synthetic chemicals in the insecticide family.
“Ideally there would be no contaminants in our food supply, but chemical contaminants may occur in food when they are present in the growing, storage or processing environments,” acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner said. “Because many of the most nutritious foods can also contain contaminants, consumers should eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within the main food groups of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and protein to help protect from possible exposure effects.”
The agency signaled that, with Kennedy at the helm, the FDA would continue to promote &#8220;radical transparency to make sure all Americans know what is in their food and Make America Healthy Again.&#8221;
In another related move, RFK Jr. has <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/operation-stork-speed.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> &#8220;Operation Stork Speed&#8221; to help ensure safety and quality in the domestic baby formula supply.
“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them,” Kennedy said. “Helping each family and child get off to the right start from birth is critical to our pursuit to Make America Healthy Again.”
The FDA announced the following actions related to the operation:
<ul>
<li>Starting the nutrient review required by law by issuing a Request for Information in the coming months to start the first comprehensive update and review of infant formula nutrients by the FDA since 1998</li>
<li>Increasing testing for heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula and other foods children consume</li>
<li>Extending the personal importation policy</li>
<li>Encouraging companies to work with the FDA on any questions regarding increased transparency and clearer labeling</li>
<li>Communicating regularly with consumers and industry stakeholders as significant developments occur to ensure transparency, including information regarding nutrients and health outcomes</li>
<li>Collaborating with the National Institutes of Health and other scientific bodies to address priority scientific research gaps regarding short- and long-term health outcomes associated with formula feeding in infancy and childhood across the lifespan</li>
</ul>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mahas-latest-wins-on-fluoride-food-and-vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAHA’s Latest Wins On Fluoride, Food, And Vaccines</a>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers Address To Jewish Community In New York

RFK Jr. Unveils New ‘Transparency’ Tool That Lets You Search Chemical Contaminants In Foods

RFK Unveils New ‘Transparency’ Tool That Shows Chemical Contaminants In Foods

As the Senate considers Dr. Martin Makary’s nomination to lead the Food and Drug Administration, the safety of all Americans — especially women and children — must be a top priority. For far too long, the FDA has been grossly negligent regarding essential safeguards surrounding the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone. Dr. Makary’s initial hearing provided a glimpse into his commitment to <a href="https://grabien.com/file/getmedia?id=2831540&amp;key=756f0397187f6b49fdaab04e60406327&amp;userid=17147">data-based approaches</a> to providing the best care for our patients. I’m hopeful that this expected confirmation will stand as a first step to the FDA reprioritizing the health and safety of women and children.
Despite the common refrain that abortion should be a decision &#8220;between a woman and her doctor,&#8221; doctors are too often left out of the picture by what has become a highly politicized and aggressively pro-abortion FDA. To the detriment of women’s health and safety, the FDA has for too long made women’s health a pawn in abortion politics by promoting drug-induced abortions as safe and recklessly ignoring the necessity of proper medical oversight.
Due in large part to the Biden-era FDA’s gutting of the requirements necessary to take mifepristone, women today are denied crucial medical care in life’s most vulnerable moments. In fact, the FDA has recklessly removed its requirements that women meet with a doctor before taking abortion drugs, thereby denying women the chance to be screened for life-threatening conditions like ectopic pregnancy or to confirm how far along she is in her pregnancy. 
My 20 years of caring for women as an OB/GYN have affirmed what the medical literature <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2017/05/methods-for-estimating-the-due-date">shows</a> — the only way to ensure accurate dating of a pregnancy is to examine a woman in person, ideally with an ultrasound. This is crucial, because an error of just a couple of weeks could mean a significant increase in risk for the woman if she takes these drugs.
To be clear, I would never recommend dangerous drug-induced or surgical abortions to any woman or teen who comes to me for care, especially when so many life-affirming alternatives exist to effectively care for both mother and child. 
The FDA also shamefully fails to require any follow-up visits, even though their own label on mifepristone states roughly one in 25 women who take it will end up in the emergency room. Selling women the lie that these drugs are safe, especially without the benefit of ongoing care with a doctor, is unethical.
With the urging of abortion advocates, and without appropriate evidence to support it, the FDA has also allowed abortion drugs to be shipped to women by mail, delivered straight to their doorsteps. This move not only puts women in danger of taking <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/01/the-web-is-home-to-an-illegal-bazaar-for-abortion-pills-the-fda-is-ill-equipped-to-stop-it-00048802">counterfeit drugs</a> that could cause them harm, but it also makes them <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/hidden-epidemic-nearly-70-of-abortions-are-coerced-unwanted-or-inconsistent-with-womens-preferences/">vulnerable to coercion and abuse.</a>
The new FDA leadership must prioritize women’s health by implementing key reforms. 
First, they should reinstate the requirement for in-person doctor visits so women can receive individualized counseling and fully informed consent, along with being adequately screened for potentially life-threatening conditions. It&#8217;s a simple but essential principle of medical ethics that patients have a right to informed consent before taking these high-risk drugs — something that can only happen with an in-person visit and individualized counseling. Even the pro-abortion American College of OB/GYNs (ACOG) <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2021/02/informed-consent-and-shared-decision-making-in-obstetrics-and-gynecology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a> that an adequate informed consent process is one where patients are “free to ask questions” and make a choice about their care, including refusing treatment. It’s impossible to have this tailored conversation when abortion drugs are dispensed online with no in-person interaction with a medical professional.
Next, should a woman choose to pursue a drug-induced abortion, the FDA should restore the seven week gestational age limit (currently 10 weeks) to decrease the risks associated with these drugs, as well as require abortion providers to see a woman for a follow&#8211;up visit to ensure her abortion is complete and to evaluate for and treat any complications she might be experiencing. This would be consistent with what was originally recommended when the drug entered the market and would reduce risks to women. With these protections in place, our federal leaders, regardless of their personal position on induced abortion, can at the very least reduce the risk of women dying from complications of abortion drugs and ensure that all women are receiving fully informed consent before taking them.
Reinstating the FDA’s original safety regulations for mifepristone is an essential first step toward protecting the health and safety of women across the nation. Women and girls seeking an induced abortion are often in a vulnerable and uncertain time of their lives. Rather than ensuring that they receive accurate information and ongoing medical care, the FDA has sold them a lie and denied them appropriate care. We all should work together to bring this negligence to an end.
Women and girls deserve the best medical care possible that is individualized and evidence-based. I&#8217;m hopeful that with Dr. Makary&#8217;s leadership the FDA will restore safety as the priority for American women and girls. Our patients deserve nothing less.
* * *
Christina Francis, MD is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing as an obstetric hospitalist. She also serves as CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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WASHINGTON—The Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s new chief counsel resigned from her position &#8220;effective immediately&#8221; after just two days on the job amid scrutiny of her record on abortion and vaccines, the agency said Thursday morning.
The resignation was due in large part to pushback from Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, a White House source familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire. The Missouri senator publicized concerns about Hilary Perkins&#8217; past defense of abortion drugs, and a brief she had signed onto expressing support for President Joe Biden&#8217;s COVID vaccine mandates, which said objections to COVID mandates &#8220;verge on the conspiratorial.&#8221;
A source familiar with the conversations between Hawley and the White House told The Daily Wire that the senator said last night he would vote no on Makary if Perkins didn’t resign. Perkins&#8217; resignation came the next morning.
&#8220;A Biden abortion lawyer who also defended Biden’s offensive and outrageous vaccine mandates has no business working in the Trump Administration,&#8221; Hawley told The Daily Wire. &#8220;I’m glad to see she was removed from that position.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s critical that the Trump Administration is staffed with individuals who are committed to carrying out President Trump’s pro-life agenda,&#8221; he added. &#8220;That’s true for this position and a whole host of others.&#8221;
Multiple publications reported this week that Perkins, a former Justice Department lawyer, was joining the FDA as its chief counsel at the express request of Marty Makary, the president&#8217;s nominee to lead the FDA. Perkins had even added the new role to her LinkedIn profile, which stated she was the FDA&#8217;s chief counsel as of Wednesday evening.
<div id="attachment_891039" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-the-fdas-chief-counsel-went-from-hired-to-fired-in-two-days/dr-marty-makary-fda-commissioner-nominee-2" rel="attachment wp-att-891039"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891039" class="wp-image-891039 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202982272-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202982272-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202982272-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202982272-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2202982272.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)</div>
Her tenure was short lived, however. Both the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services deal heavily with how the United States handles abortions, unborn babies, abortion drugs, and more — meaning that pro-life lawmakers and activists have a vested interest in keeping an eye on FDA and HHS appointments. Hawley grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his nomination process to ensure that Kennedy would not push abortion policy, and would protect life.
Just after midnight last night, the Missouri senator also shared that his team had dug up a brief dealing with the vaccine mandates, one that Perkins had signed onto.
That brief praised Biden&#8217;s orders mandating vaccines, saying they “strike a careful balance between the federal government&#8217;s compelling interest in stemming the spread of COVID-19 and certain individuals&#8217; medical or religious reasons for declining vaccination.”
Hawley had already aired his concerns about Perkins&#8217; record on abortion, saying in an <a href="https://x.com/HawleyMO/status/1900006518533087268">X</a> post that he couldn&#8217;t &#8220;understand why Marty Makary would want someone who used the government to IMPOSE vaccines on millions of Americans and served as a Biden abortion lawyer to be his chief counsel.&#8221;
&#8220;It calls into question his judgment,&#8221; the senator said. &#8220;These positions are &#8211; obviously &#8211; totally out of line with President Trump.&#8221;
A source close to the senator told The Daily Wire that Hawley is concerned that the Biden administration&#8217;s mifepristone rules completely undermine the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization, the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and that the senator is worried the administration is waffling on handling the matter of abortion drugs.
Neither the FDA nor HHS responded to The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment on Perkins and her record on Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning, the FDA&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/US_FDA/status/1900155547237732850">X</a> account announced her departure: &#8220;Hilary K. Perkins has resigned from her position as Chief Counsel of FDA, effectively immediately.&#8221;
A source familiar with her promotion and resignation told The Daily Wire that Perkins was a career Justice Department attorney whom Makary viewed as reliable and competent. Markary passed a key committee vote on Thursday morning, and now heads to a full Senate vote on his nomination to head FDA.
&#8220;I am pleased to see that Dr. Makary has reconsidered his decision to make this Biden abortion lawyer the top counsel at FDA,&#8221; Hawley said after the resignation was announced.

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