White House Seizes Reins at HHS as RFK Jr. Deputies Ousted in Massive Pre-Midterm Overhaul

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was rocked today by a sweeping leadership reorganization, signaling a major move by the White House to tighten its grip on the nation’s largest health agency. The shakeup, characterized by the departure of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s second-in-command and the elevation of several key loyalists, comes as the administration seeks to stabilize a department plagued by internal friction and controversial messaging ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

The Departure of the Inner Circle

The most significant casualty of the restructuring is Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, who has served as Kennedy’s right-hand man and the interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). O’Neill, a former investment manager with the Thiel Foundation, was a polarizing figure throughout his tenure. Despite lacking a formal medical background, he was tapped to lead the CDC following the ouster of Dr. Susan Monarez last August.

Internal sources describe O’Neill as a “poor communicator” who struggled to navigate the complex bureaucracy of the federal health system. While he was a vocal proponent of the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, his tenure was marked by public spats and a perceived lack of engagement with career scientific staff at the CDC. Reports indicate that O’Neill will be transitioned out of the department, with the White House reportedly offering him an ambassadorial post to facilitate a smooth exit.

Joining O’Neill in the exodus is General Counsel Mike Stuart. As the department’s top lawyer, Stuart was central to the administration’s legal challenges against traditional health mandates. His departure, alongside O’Neill’s, suggests a systematic removal of the initial leadership tier that helped launch Kennedy’s unorthodox tenure.

The Rise of the “Regulators”

In their place, the White House has moved to install a new cadre of senior counselors designed to “muscle up” the management team. Leading this new guard is Chris Klomp, who has been promoted to Chief Counselor. Klomp, previously the administration’s Medicare chief, will now serve as the de facto Chief of Staff, overseeing the department’s daily operations.

Klomp is widely viewed as a “fixer” within the administration. He earned significant political capital for his role in negotiating “most favored nation” drug pricing deals—a policy that the White House intends to make a cornerstone of its midterm campaign. By placing Klomp at the helm of HHS operations, the administration appears to be prioritizing operational efficiency and political “wins” over the more ideological battles that defined Kennedy’s first year.

The reorganization also includes several other strategic appointments:

• John Brooks: Elevated to Senior Counselor for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
• Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham: Named Senior Counselors for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Matt Buckham: The outgoing HHS Chief of Staff will transition into a Senior Counselor role, further consolidating the new advisory structure.

Political Strategy: The Road to Midterms

The timing of this “February Flip” is not accidental. With the 2026 midterm elections looming, Republican strategists are eager to pivot away from the more controversial aspects of Kennedy’s agenda—specifically his history of vaccine skepticism—and toward more popular, “kitchen table” health issues.

The White House intends to use the new leadership team to amplify messaging around:

1. Drug Price Reductions: Leveraging Klomp’s success in pharmaceutical negotiations.
2. Nutritional Reform: Pushing the “MAHA” agenda’s focus on removing artificial chemicals from the food supply (such as the recent FDA assessment of BHA).
3. Fraud Crackdowns: Emphasizing the administration’s “Great American Recovery” initiative to audit Medicaid and Medicare Advantage payments.

A Department in Transition

The restructuring comes at a time of extreme internal tension. Last year, over 1,000 HHS employees signed a petition calling for Kennedy’s resignation, and the department has faced repeated “fire and re-hire” cycles, most notably involving top FDA officials. By installing “battle-tested” leaders like Klomp and Brooks, the White House is effectively placing “adults in the room” to ensure that Kennedy’s department does not become a political liability during the campaign season.

Secretary Kennedy, in a public statement released Thursday, characterized the moves as an “enhancement” to accelerate President Trump’s priorities. “I am proud to elevate principled leaders… to help us move faster and go further,” Kennedy stated. However, behind the scenes, the move is widely interpreted as a “soft sideline” of the Secretary, ensuring that the department’s massive $1.7 trillion budget and its communications are managed by those more closely aligned with the White House’s political wing.

As the new team takes over, the medical and scientific community remains wary. The departure of O’Neill from the CDC leaves a vacuum at a time when the agency is still reeling from structural changes and the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year. Whether this new management structure can provide stability or will simply create another layer of bureaucracy remains the defining question for the future of American public health.

Sources and Links

• The Independent: Trump wants to change RFK Jr executive team to tout health wins amid midterms (Feb 13, 2026)
• The Washington Post: White House, RFK Jr. shake up health leadership after controversies (Feb 13, 2026)
• HHS.gov Official Press Release: Secretary Kennedy Enhances Management Team to Accelerate President Trump’s Priorities and MAHA Agenda (Feb 12, 2026)
• CNN / LocalNews8: Two top aides to RFK Jr. leaving HHS as part of leadership shakeup (Feb 13, 2026)
• Healthcare Dive: HHS elevates officials into Kennedy’s inner circle in advance of midterms (Feb 13, 2026)