Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has abruptly fired two of his top aides in a major shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy is said to have lost confidence in Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Hannah Anderson, prompting their removal after just a few months on the job.
No other reason was given for the double firing, and it’s unclear whether it stemmed from a single incident, sources told CNN. HHS has already moved quickly, listing the department’s White House liaison, Matt Buckham, who oversees the recruitment across the agency, as the new acting chief of staff on its website as of Wednesday.
Kennedy has yet to decide on permanent replacements for Melanson and Anderson, according to CNN.
A spokesperson for HHS confirmed the shakeup and Buckham’s new temporary role.
“He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,” the spokesperson told the Daily Beast. “Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again.
Melanson, a former senior HHS official during Trump’s first term, was one of the more experienced figures on Kennedy’s team. Before Trump entered re-office, he tapped Flick to serve as Kennedy’s chief of staff to provide crucial knowledge and support to Kennedy, who had never held government office before leading HHS, according to Politico.
Melanson was not only viewed as a steady hand but also someone who could “keep a closer watch” on the department amid concerns Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, would aggressively push his Make America Healthy Again agenda, the outlet reported.
That’s precisely what unfolded, as Kennedy, with Trump’s backing, pursued his mandate, which has included publishing an error-filled MAHA Commission report on childhood illnesses and firing all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee, replacing them with Kennedy allies.
Before joining HHS, Anderson served as director of the Center for a Healthy America at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute think tank. She also acted as a health policy adviser for the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
