Transcript: Former CDC chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," July 5, 2026
Summary
Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC chief medical officer, discussed her time at the agency during President Donald Trump's administration. She explained why she documented decisions with emails and shared concerns about political interference in the CDC’s work under the new administration.Key Facts
- Dr. Houry worked at the CDC for 11 years and was the chief medical officer until August 2025.
- She served briefly as acting CDC director at the start of the Trump administration but was not officially named by the administration.
- Dr. Houry kept detailed emails and documents to record decision-making processes, especially when she saw conflicts of interest or political interference.
- About 250 of her emails and documents were made public by a Senate committee overseeing health agencies.
- She noted that early in President Trump’s term, many CDC websites were taken down by executive order, which she found unusual for a science agency.
- Dr. Houry said she did not usually brief the secretary, differing from past CDC practices, and witnessed political requests for reviewing old issues that she thought were unnecessary.
- She expressed concern that under the new administration, scientific facts and data might not be enough to guide the CDC’s work.
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