Chicago – August 19, 2026
President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Dr. Heidi Overton, a White House health policy adviser, as the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to people familiar with the decision. Trump has not yet formally announced the nomination.
Overton currently serves as deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and has played a significant role in shaping the administrationâs health agenda. She previously worked at the conservative America First Policy Institute and trained as a physician, completing medical school at the University of New Mexico and surgical and research training at Johns Hopkins.
If confirmed by the Senate, Overton would lead an FDA facing significant challenges, including staff departures and concerns about political influence over regulatory decisions.
Her nomination is likely to receive close scrutiny, particularly over vaccine policy and her relationship with the administrationâs âMake America Healthy Againâ agenda.
