Key facts
- Heidi Overton, President Trump's nominee for FDA commissioner, was evasive during her Senate confirmation hearing.
- Overton refused to directly state if President Trump could be wrong about health issues, including his past claims about the MMR vaccine.
- She also avoided answering questions about her potential role in suggesting splitting the MMR vaccine and about a donation linked to a flavored vape policy change.
- The FDA has been without a commissioner since Marty Makary resigned in May.
Heidi Overton, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration, faced a challenging confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Senators from both parties expressed concern over her repeated evasiveness on a range of critical health policy issues.
Overton, a physician and current deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, was pressed by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) on whether President Trump could ever be wrong, particularly regarding his past false claims that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is "quite lethal" and that infant vaccine doses are "like the size of a soda bottle." While Overton stated that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective, she declined to directly answer if the president was wrong in his assertions, instead stating that Trump "asks questions and wants the best outcomes for the American people."
Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.) also questioned Overton about reports suggesting she advised Trump to split the MMR vaccine into multiple shots. Overton stated her role was to provide options to the president, but she did not directly confirm or deny whether she believed these were good options.
Concerns were also raised regarding the FDA's policy on flavored vapes. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) outlined a timeline suggesting a connection between an $8 million donation to President Trump and a subsequent FDA rule change that paved the way for the sale of flavored vapes. Overton rejected the framing of the question, asserting Trump's commitment to American outcomes.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) attempted to ascertain Overton's awareness of potential rollbacks of tobacco safety regulations, but Overton declined to answer. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) also struggled to get Overton to confirm basic FDA rules regarding vaping products, leading to frustration.
Overton also evaded questions on birth control and abortion, including whether she considers IUDs a form of abortion or if women taking birth control pills pollute the water supply. The FDA has been without a commissioner since May, following the resignation of Marty Makary.