With the clock ticking as we race toward November, the president needs every loyal hand on deck he can get to help us survive the mid-terms. Unlike the beginning of his first term, there’s no reason for him to settle for unreliable staff.

This is something particularly to consider with the news that Dr. Heidi Overton is favored to take over as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (COUNTERPOINT: Coverage Surrounding FDA Head Is Missing Critical Fact)

Overton appears to have pretty good MAGA bonafides at first glance, but her relationship with disgraced former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary makes one wonder if we’ve really made any progress. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Pollster Found Voters Were Highly Concerned About Vaccines. The Poll Never Saw Daylight)

Overton was a general surgery resident at Johns Hopkins 2015-2017, the same time that Marty Makary was surgeon there. We certainly wouldn’t want to suggest any guilt by association – lots of people worked at John Hopkins from 2015-2017, but Overton and Makary did more than breathe the same air. They have worked together on more than one research project, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy listed Makary and Overton as part of negotiations regarding the lowering of drug prices.

Indeed, the two appear to have been so joined at the hip they might need Ben Carson to separate them!

While we don’t believe in guilt by association, we do believe in guilt by the donor. Show me your donor and I show you your character.

Two of their research projects were partially funded by Arnold Ventures, a controversial group founded by Democrat mega-donor John Arnold. According to some great reporting by The Daily Caller News Foundation, Arnold’s network of dark money promotes gun control, lenient “racial justice” policies in law enforcement, and far-left education policies. Indeed, of Arnold Ventures campaign donations in the 2024 cycle, 61% of their money went to Democrats.

In May, Makary (finally) resigned as FDA commissioner after months of pressure for him to leave the post. Makary’s tenure at the FDA was plagued by internal scandals, forced staff resignations, dreadful morale and record staff departures. Some officials reported that the lack of internal transparency was so bad that staff would find out about new policies through press releases or medical journals!

During the insane COVID lockdowns, Makary initially pushed harmful mask mandates for kids but took a more reasonable approach on vaccines.

The commissioner of the FDA is responsible for regulating drugs, vaccines, tobacco and so on. Because of America’s enormous healthcare budget, the FDA regulates one-fifth of consumer spending here. The FDA also has the final say on new research, which makes it critical for maintaining America’s innovation leadership as well as bringing hope to those with terminal or chronic conditions.

Most controversially, Makary actively worked against the president’s agenda to remove roadblocks for rare-disease trials – right to try research. While the FDA’s guidelines on research are probably mostly good in most instances, people suffering from rare diseases have nothing to lose. The idea is for those rare, particularly baleful afflictions where current medicine has failed, patients and their providers can exceed the standards set by the FDA for experimental treatments not yet approved for public use.

Right to try research is sort of like the buzzer-beater throw from half-court – you wouldn’t recommend teams use that strategy every time they get the ball, but at the end of the game, there’s nothing to lose.

Makary’s sandbagging right to try research drew the attention of The Wall Street Journal last year as the agency continued to reject relevant rare disease treatments. To hang a lantern on how serious the issue is, a crowd of afflicted families staged a mock funeral outside FDA offices in March.

Makary’s resignation came shortly thereafter. Kyle Diamantas has been doing a fine job as acting commissioner since then, but Overton could replace him as full-time commissioner soon.

While more attention is usually drawn to Iran, inflation and gas prices, a well-functioning FDA has been an essential component of the president’s promises for his second term. He wants faster approvals for drugs, more treatments for rare diseases, and lower drug prices.

Alas the FDA under Makary did everything it could to block the president’s agenda rather than to help it – and thousands suffering from rare diseases.

We all took a victory lap when Makary resigned – let’s not replace him with someone cut from the same proverbial cloth. The FDA is finally doing its job, so let’s not risk similar people getting back in charge.

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