2025 Trump Questions Covid-19 Vaccines, Claims They Have ‘torn apart’ CDC

President Donald Trump on Monday raised new doubts about the Covid-19 vaccines developed under his administration, claiming his top health agency is being “ripped apart” by disputes over their effectiveness.

While acknowledging “great numbers and results” from some pharmaceutical companies, Trump pressed them to publicly prove the vaccines’ success and accused them of withholding data.

“I want them to show it NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know why???”

The remarks were Trump’s first about the CDC since its director, Dr. Susan Monarez, was abruptly fired last week, less than a month into her tenure amid a clash over vaccine policy.

Trump has long touted Operation Warp Speed — the program that accelerated vaccine development in 2020 — as a signature achievement of his presidency. Yet his latest comments reflect his attempt to balance that legacy with the vaccine skepticism embraced by his MAGA base and promoted by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Many people think they are a miracle that saved millions of lives. Others disagree,” Trump added. “With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW.”

Trump accused drug companies of withholding “extraordinary” information, saying they move on to other ventures while fueling public disputes.

Neither Pfizer nor Moderna immediately responded to requests for comment. HHS also declined to comment on Trump’s post.

The White House emphasized that health policy decisions remain grounded in evidence. “The only driving principle of health decision-making in this Administration is Gold Standard Science,” spokesman Kush Desai said.

The CDC and FDA continue to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and safety, with the FDA recently narrowing approval for the next Covid vaccine to high-risk groups — a move defended by Commissioner Marty Makary but criticized by some experts as confusing.

Trump, meanwhile, has backed Kennedy’s overhaul of vaccine policy, including Monarez’s ouster after she declined to support recommendations from a Kennedy-appointed advisory panel. Her removal triggered a wave of resignations among senior CDC officials, who accused Kennedy’s allies of sidelining scientists and threatening access to routine immunizations.