Trump’s former surgeon general is now 1 of his most pointed critics
by Joseph Choi - 06/16/25 6:00 AM ETJerome Adams, President Trump’s first-term surgeon general, is becoming one of the most prominent voices speaking out against the public health policies and decisions carried out in the president’s second term.
Adams, known as a relatively low-profile member of the Trump administration during his tenure, has in recent weeks gone on something of a media campaign against the White House’s health care choices.
During the pandemic, Adams at times broke from Trump, such as when the president downplayed the death toll of COVID-19 or suggested injecting bleach to combat infections.
But now that he’s on the outside looking in, the criticism is becoming more frequent.
Adams has made veiled criticisms against Trump’s latest surgeon general nominee, and he’s spoken out directly against Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to fire every member of a key vaccine advisory panel.
The ex-surgeon general has focused his criticism on the lack of credentials of those being placed in top administration positions and what that might mean for public health.
“While I typically try to focus on policies over personalities, it has become necessary to directly address the role of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of HHS,” Adams said when reached by The Hill.
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https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5350076-trump-surgeon-general-criticized-kennedy-adams/