Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, an Obama administration holdover, was asked to resign by the Trump administration on Friday. He was replaced by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, one of the first nurses to serve as surgeon general.
Admiral Trent-Adams will for now be in an acting role. As of Friday evening, she had already replaced Dr. Murthy on the surgeon general’s Twitter account, and her portrait had replaced his on the agency’s Facebook page. One of the first comments on that post asked, “Where is Dr. Murthy?”
Note from the Center for American Progress
| UNDER THE RADAR |
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Coincidence? Over the weekend, the Trump Administration abruptly asked U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to resign. Murthy—an Obama appointee—was replaced by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams. The Surgeon General typically serves a four-year term and Murthy’s term would have been completed at the end of this year. The Trump Administration did not give a reason for the unusual move. One guess? Murthy’s stance on gun safety. Murthy has called gun violence a public health issue, a position that led the National Rifle Association to vehemently oppose his nomination. Speaking of the NRA… Trump is scheduled to speak at their convention later this week. |
