Former FDA commissioner Robert Califf calls DOGE cuts a 'disaster'

Three former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioners have sharply criticized the Trump administration and former agency leadership over workforce reductions, warning that staff cuts stripped the agency of institutional knowledge that will take years to rebuild. Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf called DOGE a major historical disaster after 3,500 positions were cut prior to the resignation of former commissioner Marty Makary in May 2026.

Former commissioners criticize workforce cuts

• ▪Three former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioners criticized the Trump administration and former agency officials for overseeing a massive workforce exodus.
• ▪Three former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioners stated that workforce cuts robbed the agency of institutional knowledge that will take years to restore.
• ▪Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will go down as one of the biggest disasters in American history.