Trump taps White House adviser to run FDA after months of tumult

Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Bloomberg News on Aug 18, 2026

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has chosen White House policy aide Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration, according to a person familiar with the matter, after a turbulent year at the agency marked by high-profile staff exits and industry complaints.

Overton is a deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House working on health issues. She previously worked at the think tank America First Policy Institute. Overton is a medical doctor and has a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. She was also a White House fellow in the first Trump administration.

Overton and the White House did not immediately return requests for comment.

The FDA, which regulates products that account for roughly a fifth of consumer spending in the U.S., has been in turmoil for months. Former Commissioner Marty Makary resigned in May after 13 months in the top role marred by clashes with staff and pushback from biotech companies. Soon after, a wave of other senior leaders departed.

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(With assistance from Andrea Chang.)

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