Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton to be the next commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the president's statement on Truth Social, Overton is a "ROCKSTAR" in his administration and has worked with Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz on health issues. The FDA regulates drugs, medical devices, and food supply, and Overton would take over an agency that has faced tumult during the second Trump administration. Notably, Overton has previously described medication abortion mifepristone as "teleabortion" and advocated for stricter regulation of it to protect women and children.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton, a medical doctor and former White House aide, to lead the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Overton is known for being an abortion opponent and has worked closely with Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz on various health issues, including vaccine policy. The FDA has been in turmoil for months, following widespread job cuts and disease outbreaks during the second Trump administration.
Dr. Overton's nomination has sparked controversy, particularly from some "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) advocates who claim she is too tied to big pharmaceutical companies. However, not all MAHA supporters oppose her nomination, with one calling her an "accomplished physician." The nomination process is likely to be contentious, setting up a fight between the administration and part of its own base.
The FDA regulates products that account for roughly 20% of consumer spending in the US, making Dr. Overton's appointment significant. Her confirmation would also give her a crucial role in shaping the country's healthcare policies, particularly on issues related to drug pricing and access to new treatments.
Written for “Trump's FDA Nomination” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.85 for article 1597 (high confidence, 3 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-21
Donald Trump nominated Dr Heidi Overton – an abortion opponent who stood next to the president as he made false claims about vaccines – to be commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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he → nominate → Administration
“Today I am honored to nominate the wonderful Dr. Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, as our next FDA Commissioner.
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I → honor → Commissioner
Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History.
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she → work → History
She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
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president → know → Wednesday
He continued: “She is SMART and RESPECTED by all!
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She → continue → all
Dr. Heidi will work with Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz to RAPIDLY deliver on my priorities of FASTER Cures, INCREASED American Innovation, MAJOR Clinical Trial Reforms, LOWER Drug Prices, and even more MAHA WINS!”
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Heidi → work → Cures
The FDA, which regulates the nation’s drugs, medical devices and much of its food supply, has spent the bulk of the second Trump administration in tumult following widespread job cuts and disease outbreaks.
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which → regulate → cuts
Overton would also take the reins of an agency tasked with regulating medication abortions, specifically the drug mifepristone, which has become an important piece of abortion access for the 23 million women living in states with bans.
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which → take → bans
In a 2023 policy brief, Overton has previously described mifepristone as “teleabortion” and “abortion-on-demand”, which Congress should work to strictly regulate “to protect women and children”.
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Congress → describe → women
More recently, Overton appeared with Trump during a press conference for an executive order to split up the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots.
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Overton → appear → shots
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) described the order as “not only disheartening but dangerous”.
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Academy → describe → order
The executive order has been widely cited by health experts as sowing confusion about vaccinations even as the US is in the midst of the worst measles outbreak in 30 years.
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US → cite → years
“We do still recommend the measles vaccine for all children, but we want parents to be informed about the timing and to have the option to separate them out,” Overton said.
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Overton → recommend → them
We are going to be working directly with states so that we’re not reliant on the court case to resolve.”
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we → go → case
Trump repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the change would improve autism rates, even though studies have found no connection between autism and vaccines.
“So you are saying, especially to states that are willing, take a look at this scientific assessment, these are the gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations,” said Overton.
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Overton → claim → assessment
She also criticized “blue states” for following the guidance from the AAP, and not the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose expert advisory panel on vaccines was fired by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine opponent.
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panel → criticize → secretary
NBC News reported that Trump initially tapped Kyle Diamantas, the acting FDA commissioner and a former corporate lawyer, and then the Ohio Republican Bret Wenstrup.
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Trump → report → Diamantas
