Who is Erica Schwartz? 5 things to know about Trump's pick to run the CDC
April 16, 2026
President Donald Trump has nominated Dr Erica Schwartz, his former Deputy Surgeon General to lead a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, a retired rear admiral and former deputy surgeon general, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The announcement comes after a period of instability for the public health agency, which has been without a permanent director for most of the past year. Schwartz's nomination marks the administration's third attempt to fill the crucial role, following one withdrawn nomination and the dismissal of a confirmed director. The CDC, based in Atlanta, has faced internal turmoil and public scrutiny amid a series of leadership changes and policy shifts.
Schwartz brings a wealth of experience from a career spanning over two decades in military and public health service. She is a physician with a medical degree from Brown University, a master's degree in public health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and a law degree from the University of Maryland. Her extensive service includes time in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Notably, she served as the Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, where she was the principal expert on flu pandemics and developed policy on viral outbreaks.
This is not Schwartz's first time serving in a Trump administration; she was the U.S. Deputy Surgeon General from 2019 to 2021. Her previous role involved leading uniformed medical and health professionals across government health agencies. Her supporters, including former Surgeon General Jerome Adams, have praised her expertise and integrity. In announcing the nomination, Trump described Schwartz as "incredibly talented" and a "STAR!" on his Truth Social platform.
The path to this nomination has been fraught with challenges for the administration. The first nominee for CDC director, Dr. David Weldon, withdrew from consideration in March 2025. His successor, Susan Monarez, was confirmed by the Senate but was dismissed less than a month into her tenure, reportedly due to disagreements over the administration's agenda. Since then, the agency has been managed by a series of acting leaders, with National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya most recently overseeing the CDC. The agency operates under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose efforts to review and alter national vaccination policies have generated controversy.
If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz will be tasked with restoring stability and scientific integrity at an agency that has been described as hollowed out. Her nomination has been viewed by some as a selection of a highly qualified and less controversial candidate. However, it has drawn criticism from some allies of Secretary Kennedy who have pointed to Schwartz's past support for vaccination programs. A date for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has not yet been announced.
Source: hindustantimes