President Donald Trump has reportedly signed off on a plan to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, according to a Friday exclusive from The Wall Street Journal. 

Citing people “familiar with the matter,” the Journal reported that “Top administration officials have become increasingly convinced Makary has to go because, in addition to months of turmoil, complaints from some in the pharmaceutical industry have continued to mount.”

The reported decision comes just days after the Journal revealed on Tuesday that Makary was already on “thin ice” inside the administration following a clash with Trump over flavored vaping products.

According to that earlier report, Trump “upbraided” Makary last weekend for “not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products” after advisers emphasized the issue’s importance with younger MAGA voters. During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to “save” vaping.

“Advisers told the president that Makary has blocked Trump’s vaping agenda and described the commissioner as a problem for the administration,” the Journal‘s Liz Essley Whyte and Natalie Andrews wrote earlier this week.

The FDA commissioner had reportedly resisted approving menthol, mango, and blueberry vape flavors from Los Angeles manufacturer Glas over concerns the products could appeal to children. But as Friday’s Journal piece notes, Makary ultimately reversed course after pressure from Trump and approved the flavors on Tuesday, shortly after the WSJ reported on the clash between him and the president.

The article also detailed broader tensions surrounding Makary’s tenure at the FDA, including criticism from anti-abortion activists, biotech firms, and rare disease advocates.

Again, per “people familiar with the matter, “Makary has battled with others in the health department on a range of policy issues,” and “has increasingly relied on a small inner circle of advisers as he searched for ‘wins’ he could tout to the White House and the press.”

Trump’s plan to remove Makary is reportedly not yet final and could still change.

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