A staff member supporting HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who previously faced disapproval from President Trump’s MAGA followers and subsequently lost his position, has returned to his role after Chief of Staff Susie Wiles intervened.
Dr. Vinay Prasad’s sudden reappointment to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signifies one of the more notable staffing turnarounds during the Trump administration.
And some of Trump’s MAGA allies, both in Washington and across the country, still have concerns about him and doubts about his loyalty.
‘It seems to be amateur hour at the FDA, and Prasad is an unnecessary distraction,’ a Trump official told the Daily Mail.
As a hematologist-oncologist who frequently critiques the FDA’s sluggishness in adopting new scientific advancements, Prasad has consistently stressed that the agency’s pace is not up to speed with innovation.
He aligned well with HHS Secretary Kennedy, who is leading ambitious changes to federal drug and vaccine policies, presenting Prasad as an ideal candidate for supporting the administration’s objectives.
However, last month, Prasad was unexpectedly dismissed from the FDA following right-wing activist Laura Loomer bringing attention to his earlier critical statements about Trump.
Loomer said that Prasad had previously called himself a ‘lifelong progressive’ and a fan of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Prasad’s connection with HHS Secretary Kennedy, who is spearheading significant reforms in federal drug and vaccine policy, made him seem a fitting participant in the administration’s plans.
Prasad’s (pictured) unexpected return to the FDA marks one of the more dramatic personnel reversals of the Trump administration
The revelation sparked concern among Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, both of whom considered Prasad indispensable to advancing their reform plans.
In July, Makary told Politico that Prasad doesn’t have a ‘political bone to his body.’
According to senior administration officials who spoke with Politico, Wiles worked closely with Kennedy and Makary to convince the president that Prasad was not anti-Trump and should be reinstated.
‘I think it really is something good about the president that he’s willing to change his mind when persuaded,’ one of the senior administration officials told Politico.
Still, Prasad’s rehiring not only signals Trump’s willingness to overlook past criticisms but also represents a quiet victory for Kennedy, who now has one of his most trusted allies back inside the agency.
It also underscores the limits of Loomer’s influence in shaping personnel decisions despite her past successes.
She has reportedly been behind nearly a dozen ousts of so-called ‘deep state’ officials she says have been harmful to the administration. Trump reportedly fired multiple officials on the White House National Security Council after an April meeting with Loomer.
But after Prasad’s rehiring was announced, Loomer called the move ‘demoralizing’ and an ‘open disrespect of the MAGA base.’
Prasad’s reinstatement places him at the center of one of the administration’s most ambitious policy fights: reshaping how the US regulates vaccines and biotechnology.
According to senior administration officials who spoke with Politico, Wiles (pictured right) worked closely with Kennedy and Makary to convince the president that Prasad was not anti-Trump and should be reinstated
Loomer has reportedly been behind nearly a dozen ousts of so-called ‘deep state’ officials she says have been harmful to the administration
Trump reportedly fired multiple officials on the White House National Security Council after an April meeting with Loomer (pictured together in 2024)
But in a column for Newsmax, Texas-based conservative strategist Charlie Kolean warned that Prasad’s regulatory approach could slow the pace of medical innovation and delay life-saving treatments.
He argued that Prasad’s emphasis on excessive caution would create bottlenecks for biotech development, giving foreign competitors an advantage. And he told the Daily Mail that the FDA’s direction on drug approvals and biotech regulation could shift under Prasad’s leadership.
During his initial stint at the FDA, Prasad blocked the approval of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, citing concerns over the strength of the clinical evidence. The move sparked backlash from patient advocacy groups and families affected by the disease, who argued that the therapy represented a rare and urgent lifeline. The FDA overruled Prasad’s decision, approving the treatment.
Now, his re-appointment risks widening the gap between the MAGA base and administration insiders.
The Daily Mail contacted Wiles and Loomer for comment.
