Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, the controversial Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Dr. Marrazzo, who was appointed in 2023 under Joe Biden’s NIH as a replacement for serial liar Dr. Anthony Fauci, built her reputation as a loyal defender of the COVID regime: pushing lockdowns, championing vaccine and mask mandates for both adults and children, and smearing doctors who dared to question the official narrative.
She famously blasted physicians promoting hydroxychloroquine as “despicable” and accused them of “violating their oath.”
Before taking over at NIAID, Marrazzo was the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
She worked closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global bodies that sought to dictate pandemic policy worldwide.
She was placed on indefinite leave in March and, by September, had filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, alleging unlawful retaliation.
In response, RFK Jr. fired her.
On Wednesday, CBS News reported that Dr. Marrazzo received a letter from Secretary RFK Jr. notifying her that she had been removed from her position as director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Kennedy gave no explanation beyond citing his constitutional authority.
Last month, in an exclusive interview with CBS News, Marrazzo claimed she had been silenced when she and her colleagues pushed back against NIH officials appointed by President Trump who questioned the importance of childhood flu vaccines and canceled long-running clinical trials.
In a press release issued by her attorneys, Marrazzo alleged that her termination was retaliation. Just 22 days earlier, she had filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Special Counsel accusing HHS of “politicizing science,” canceling vaccine-related research, and exhibiting “baseless hostility” toward COVID shots.
Her attorney, Debra Katz, blasted the firing:
“The Trump Administration terminated Dr. Marrazzo for her advocacy on behalf of critical health research and for her support of the overwhelming body of evidence that shows vaccines are safe and effective.
“The evidence that the Trump Administration removed Dr. Marrazzo for illegal reasons was already powerful. After raising concerns for months after the new administration took office, Dr. Marrazzo was informed in March 2025 that she would be transferred to the Indian Health Service – a retaliatory transfer that she never in fact was given. Now, with her firing, there is no doubt she was removed from her position as Director of NIAID in retaliation for her protected whistleblower activity.
“Dr. Marrazzo bravely came forward to warn the public about the risks posed by the Administration’s hostile approach to vaccines and to protect public health research. Though she has filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel – an independent agency eviscerated by President Trump – she has been left with no real avenues of recourse. I urge Congress to act to provide meaningful oversight and accountability at HHS.”
In a statement after her firing, Marrazzo repeated her claim of political retaliation:
“I took on the role of NIAID director because I wanted to lead the premier biomedical research organization in the world. I proudly stand by my leadership of the Institute and the thousands of committed scientists and staff who make essential, lifesaving research possible.
“My termination, unfortunately, shows that the leaders of HHS and the National Institutes of Health do not share my commitment to scientific integrity and public health. Congress must act to protect scientific research from those who would serve political interests first.”
The post HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Fires NIAID Director Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo — Known Advocate for COVID Lockdowns, Vaccine and Mask Mandates, and Critic of Hydroxychloroquine appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.