OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:11 PM – Friday, April 17, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Schwartz, a board-certified preventive medicine physician and retired Rear Admiral, served as Deputy Surgeon General throughout President Trump’s first term. She earned her medical degree from Brown University, along with a law degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Health degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
As a former Director of Health, Safety, and Work-Life for the Coast Guard, Schwartz oversaw 41 clinics and 150 sick bays, gaining critical experience in managing large-scale health crises like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“She is a STAR!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling her “incredibly talented.” “These Highly Respected Doctors of Medicine have the knowledge, experience, and TOP degrees to restore the GOLD STANDARD OF SCIENCE at the CDC,” the president wrote.
In 2019, at the request of then-Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, Dr. Schwartz was appointed Deputy Surgeon General of the United States. She assumed the role after a distinguished career in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she served as Director of Health, Safety, and Work-Life, overseeing a network of 41 clinics and 150 sick bays.
She led the nationwide deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and has implemented policies for anthrax and smallpox vaccinations. She also played a key role in several major disaster responses, including the U.S. efforts during the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
The proposed leadership team would reportedly replace political appointees aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s skepticism toward vaccines. Despite this shift, Kennedy expressed his support on X, stating he “looks forward” to working with Schwartz. During a budget hearing on Thursday, he also added that the new team is poised to “revolutionize” the CDC and return the agency to its core mission.
“A battle-tested leader with decades of distinguished public service—including as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service and Coast Guard—she has the expertise, credibility, and integrity to lead the CDC effectively,” wrote Adams in a LinkedIn post following Trump’s announcement. “If allowed to follow the science without political interference, she’ll excel.”
Admiral Paul Zukunft, the former commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, appointed Schwartz as chief medical officer in 2015. He commended her as both a brilliant physician and lawyer, noting her dedication to science and her ability to communicate clearly and diplomatically.
“She never hesitated to speak truth to power,” he said.
“Rear Admiral Schwartz is really an outstanding person in all regards. Her academic training and intellect is second to none,” Admiral Brett Giroir — who was assistant health secretary in Trump’s first administration — supervised Schwartz and worked with her on the national COVID testing strategy.
“She’s a person of the highest integrity and commitment to service to this country,” Giroir added.
On Instagram, Schwartz displays herself as a physician dedicated to public service and preventive medicine. In her brief video posts, she also discusses topics such as loneliness, the value of consistent sleep and routine health screenings, the benefits of walking, and other key health priorities at various stages of life.
Schwartz described her credentials in a social media post earlier in the month.
“When I was a military physician, my job was all about readiness. It was all about public health: prevention, vaccines, early detection. If we get that right, we change lives before illness ever begins,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, President Trump has also filled key leadership roles at the CDC, naming former Walmart executive Sean Slovenski as deputy director and chief operating officer, and Texas Health Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford as deputy director and chief medical officer. Additionally, Dr. Sara Brenner, a senior official at the FDA, will join the Department of Health and Human Services as senior counselor for public health to Kennedy Jr.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has been serving as acting CDC director since April 2025, stepping in after Dr. Susan Monarez was ousted less than a month into her Senate-confirmed tenure. While continuing to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bhattacharya is expected to remain at the helm of the CDC for several months as Schwartz moves through the Senate confirmation process.
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