White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller showered HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with praise while answering reporters’ questions Friday, calling him a “crown jewel of the administration” and “one of the world’s foremost experts on public health.”
On Wednesday night, HHS announced that Centers for Disease Control Director, Dr. Susan Monarez, had been removed from her position after a clash with Kennedy over vaccines. Shortly after the announcement, three top CDC officials, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Deb Houry, and Dr. Dan Jernigan, submitted resignation letters.
Responding to a reporter who asked if “the President has any hesitancies about any of Secretary Kennedy’s actions or leadership,” Miller said, “Secretary Kennedy has been a crown jewel of this administration, who’s working tirelessly to improve public health for all Americans.”
In the same appearance in front of reporters, Miller said, “Secretary Kennedy, one of the world’s foremost voices, advocates, and experts on public health, is working hard to restore the credibility and the integrity of CDC as
Kennedy has faced intense scrutiny for the recent shake-up at the CDC, with dozens of employees staging a walkout in protest on Thursday. The HHS secretary has since tapped one of his top advisors, Jim O’Neill, to be acting director of the CDC.
Watch the clip above.