Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary on Tuesday, Nov. 10, backed criticisms by a former White House adviser about industry influence over the administration's health care policies, according to POLITICO.
Makary, a surgeon and health researcher, came to prominence among Republicans as an outspoken critic of the medical establishment before taking the FDA post [2]. His public account places him alongside another former administration official who has alleged that industry interests shaped federal health policy.
Means Allegations and White House Response
Makary's comments came days after Calley Means – a former senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – accused several senior officials in President Donald Trump's administration of stalling policies on food and pesticides put forward as part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement [1]. Among the officials Means blamed were former White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The White House has denied Means' accusations, but the former advisor to Kennedy amplified the claims on social media. Makary's remarks follow that dispute and add to public discussion of internal administration disagreements over health policy.
An account published by ZeroHedge said Means told podcaster Joe Rogan that he had full White House approval for a federal look at how much sugar American children eat until Wiles killed it [3]. "That's where Susie told me, 'We can't do that. I need the sugar industry money. I need the money for the midterms,'" Means recounted to Rogan [3].
"There is a very concentrated group of people in the Trump administration that are antagonistic to what people voted for and are frankly, I think it's very clear, doing things for other reasons, particularly in many cases to enrich their families," Means lamented. "Wiles is the most powerful chief of staff in modern American history. And she has taken a stranglehold on any policy decision" [3].
Vape Dispute Preceded Departure
According to POLITICO, Makary crossed swords with the White House following his opposition toward authorizing fruit-flavored vape pods [1]. The outlet noted that a "confluence of issues" ultimately led to his departure in May, after 13 months at the post [2]. Long-standing concerns about industry influence at the FDA are not new.
Makary Quotes on Pressure and Corruption
"A lot of pressure from White House and HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] aides was not on medical cures or healthy, food but instead on getting more vapes approved and catering to lobbyists," Makary remarked. "Americans don’t want their kids smoking strawberry banana vapes. They want a government that stands up to corruption."
"Every time I saw government corruption, I rejected it, just as voters did last week," he added, referring to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Context of the Dispute
The remarks place Makary's account alongside Means's allegations of stalled health policies and White House pushback. Questions about the FDA's independence have a long record, with the regulator accused of being paid off by Big Pharma and Big Food.
References
- Former FDA head accuses Trump aides of bowing to industry. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/11/11/former-fda-head-accuses-trump-administration-of-bowing-to-industry-01160138
- Trump FDA chief resigning; angered pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists, anti. https://chicago.suntimes.com/nation-world/2026/05/12/trump-fda-chief-resigns-pharmaceutical-industry-covid-vaping-vaccines-abortion
- Ex-MAHA Insider Tells Rogan What Trump Didn't Know About His Own White House. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ex-maha-insider-tells-rogan-what-trump-didnt-know-about-his-own-white-house
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