Susan Monarez says only Trump can remove her as four other senior CDC leaders quit over political interference
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A stand-off over the firing of the Susan Monarez, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deepened, with Monarez’s lawyers claiming she will not depart unless the president himself removes her.
Monarez, an infectious disease specialist who was confirmed as CDC chief just a month ago, was fired on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services, which gave no reason for the departure.
However, the apparently ousted director has refused to be removed. Her lawyers claim that while the White House has said that she is “not aligned with the president’s agenda”, only Donald Trump himself can dismiss her.
