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The White House on Thursday withdrew the nomination of Dave Weldon, a former Florida congressman and long-time vaccine skeptic, to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The withdrawal, which was first reported by Axios, came just hours before Weldon’s Senate confirmation hearing; Weldon told The New York Times, “they didn’t have the votes to confirm” his nomination.
The former physician had faced scrutiny for suggesting vaccines are linked to autism, a widely-debunked theory. He has also repeatedly questioned the safety of the measles vaccine, drawing criticism amid the country’s ongoing measles outbreak that has led to more than 200 cases and two deaths.
“I actually give hundreds of vaccines every year in my medical practice,” Weldon said in a lengthy statement responding to the withdrawal. He added that “the concern of many people is that big Pharma was behind this which is probably true,” arguing that pharmaceutical companies wanted to stop him due to his past history of investigating the industry.
Weldon’s skepticism toward some vaccines led several Trump officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to privately voice concerns about the nomination, CNN reported, although Weldon has had close ties to RFK Jr.
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The withdrawal marks a rare setback for US President Donald Trump in his effort to staff the new administration: Every other nominee that has been brought to a vote in the Senate has been confirmed so far. The only other nominee to have been withdrawn from consideration was former congressman Matt Gaetz, who himself withdrew his candidacy to be attorney general amid allegations of sex trafficking and drug use.