If you've never heard of Demetre C. Daskalakis, don't worry. Neither did we. Google tells us Dr. Daskalakis is an infectious disease expert who led the White House Monkeypox response, among other things.
He's decided to leave the CDC and posted his letter of resignation on X.
My resignation letter from CDC.
— DrDemetre (@dr_demetre) August 27, 2025
Dear Dr. Houry,
I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business.…
It's long, so we'll bring you some of the highlights (emphasis added):
I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health. The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.
He says 'scientific reality' one sentence before using the phrase 'pregnant people.' That word is women, and that's scientific reality.
The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.
For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision.
Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.
The Left sure does away with 'my body, my choice' quickly, doesn't it?
Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.
Sincerely,
Demetre C. Daskalakis MD MPH (he/his/him)
And pronouns.
Yeah. Ignore this guy.
The lack of trust in public health is a direct result of the Left, who tell us some women can have penises and spent years lying to us about COVID.
All I needed to see was that he felt the need to add his pronouns at the end. That told me all I needed to know.
— BeingJackson (@being_jackson) August 28, 2025
It sure does.
Good riddance, you utter joke. You abandoned science for a narrative. pic.twitter.com/JbUZEUlc6a
— Pam D (@soirchick) August 28, 2025
He sure did.
Already saw one manifesto from the mentally ill today, can't do two.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) August 28, 2025
Bingo.
"Pregnant people"? Do you mean women?
— The Heretical Liberal 🇨🇦 (@Rob_ThaBuilder) August 28, 2025
You know that "woman" isnt an offensive word and only misogynists think it is, yes?
He does not.
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) August 28, 2025
We love this meme.
"pregnant people"
— Whale Psychiatrist ™️ (@k_ovfefe2) August 28, 2025
"He/him"
It's truly disturbing that you were taken seriously long enough to be allowed to resign.
Yes, it is.
No one who uses "pregnant people" should work at the CDC. This isn't hard. https://t.co/dDizqDTAfE
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) August 28, 2025
It's not.
The fewer public health professionals that we have serving in Government who think it’s a great idea to pose in a pentagram harness for a magazine cover, the better.
— Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) August 28, 2025
BYE! https://t.co/lCDb73o7sr pic.twitter.com/3glKWqAqw3
BYE!
Dude writes a resignation letter braying about how the Trump admin doesn't respect science and then refers to "pregnant people" and lists his pronouns at the end of the note.
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) August 28, 2025
If there is a problem, he's actively providing reasons to ignore everything else he says. https://t.co/XMNEepJgM4
Yes. Everything he says is dismissed by the pronouns and 'pregnant people.'
This guy, who has been entrusted with public health since 2022, is still saying "pregnant people" and signing off with his pronouns. Even if he has a legitimate point to make—I doubt it, but still—why should any normal American trust a word out of his mouth? https://t.co/xVz3JoVfUq
— Neeraja Deshpande (@neerajadeshp) August 28, 2025
We should not.
Lemme guess.
— GayPatriot (@GayPatriot) August 28, 2025
This f***er helped write the AIDS and COVID public policies that killed tens of thousands of Americans. https://t.co/yqUR3fHmsE
Google says he was born in 1972 or 1973 (weird), so probably too young for AIDS protocols, but definitely had his fingers in COVID policy.
Oh you have. have you now?
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) August 28, 2025
Tell me more about this:
"For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics." https://t.co/pGwlMOeft0
He thinks men can become women because they feel like it.
That's not science.
Anyway, glad to see him leave the CDC.