Pro-life groups praise FDA commissioner’s exit, flag acting leader’s Planned Parenthood role

Many pro-life advocates cheered Marty Makaryʼs resignation as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while raising concerns that the agencyʼs acting leader once represented a Planned Parenthood affiliate in court.

Makary, who resigned on May 12, drew the ire of the pro-life community throughout his tenure for inaction to reimpose regulations on the abortion pill mifepristone.

Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Kyle Diamantas will serve as the acting commissioner of the FDA until President Donald Trump nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. Some pro-life advocates lamented Diamantas’ elevation to acting commissioner, saying he once served as counsel for Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando.

Court documents show that while he worked at the Baker Donelson law firm, he was part of the legal team that represented the Planned Parenthood affiliate in a property dispute. He was not an employee of Planned Parenthood, and a Trump administration adviser says it was just an assignment that he eventually backed out of due to moral objections.

Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins posted concerns about Diamantas on X, saying: “Quite frankly, this is why our team at Students for Life did not call for Dr. Makary to resign, because I know the FDA is filled with pro-abortion leftists.”

“The new FDA commissioner must be 100% committed to protecting innocent children in the womb AND their mothers,” she said.

Live Action President Lila Rose posted on X that “we cannot allow someone who represented Planned Parenthood to oversee rules surrounding the deadly abortion pill mifepristone that has killed MILLIONS of babies.”

In response to the concerns, Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz said in a post on X that Diamantas was working as a junior associate “but he later removed himself from the case because of his personal beliefs.”

“Kyle is a good man, is pro-life, and he is focused on delivering on President Trump’s promise to MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” he said.

Makary’s tenure

During his tenure, Makary faced repeated criticism from pro-life advocates, who are expressing hope that Trump will nominate someone who will take stronger action against abortion.

Makary launched a study in coordination with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to review the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone in September 2025. No action has been taken to restrict the drug, but the FDA did move in the opposite direction by approving a generic version of mifepristone that same month.

The Department of Justice also filed a motion on behalf of the FDA in January asking a federal court to pause a lawsuit from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill that challenged the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone based on claims that it led to harm against residents.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, who has been one of Makaryʼs top critics for months, said on X that “we must return immediately to the [first] Trump administration standard of in-person dispensing to protect women from coercion and abuse and allow the enforcement of pro-life state laws.”

Live Action President Lila Rose similarly rejoiced about Makaryʼs exit, saying: “He tragically continued to allow sending the abortion pill through the mail and approved a new version of the abortion pill.”

“The abortion pill has killed over 7 million preborn American children and harmed countless mothers,” she said and appealed to Trump to appoint a pro-life commissioner who will “ban the abortion pill now!”

Some pro-life senators joined the voices cheering his resignation, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who called the announcement “welcome news” in a post on X and accused Makary of being “uniquely destructive to the pro-life movement.”

Hawley, who initially supported Makaryʼs nomination in January 2025, has been publicly critical of his leadership since December. In his post, he said Makary “slow walked” the mifepristone review while approving a generic version in spite of safety risks.

The senator called Makary’s resignation “an opportunity for the FDA to reset.”

Sarah Zagorski, senior director of public relations and communications for Americans United for Life, told EWTN News the Trump administration “has the opportunity to demonstrate real moral leadership by appointing a commissioner dedicated to protecting women and girls from the harms associated with abortion drugs” upon Makary’s resignation.

“With these drugs increasingly available online, the risks of coercion, misuse, and medical complications have grown substantially. Strong oversight and patient safety must come first,” she said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, called Makary’s tenure “part of a broader symptom of an administration that has not paid attention to pro-life issues” in a post on X.

“I care deeply about life, and I anticipate the next FDA nominee shall as well,” he said.

Although many pro-life advocates see an opportunity for change, it’s unclear whether their criticisms contributed to Makary’s resignation, considering Trump himself committed during his campaign to ensuring the FDA would not threaten access to the abortion pill.

Trump did not reference the life issue when asked by reporters about Makary’s resignation and declined to say whether he asked him to step down.

“He was having some difficulty,” Trump said. “You know he’s a great doctor and he was having some difficulty, but he’s going to go on and he’s going to do well. We have — everybody wants that job, everybody.”

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/makary-steps-down