After being dismissed following a backlash from President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters, a staff member for HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr found his way back to his role last week, thanks to the intervention of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Dr. Vinay Prasad’s unexpected return to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stands out as one of the most notable personnel comebacks within the Trump administration.

And some of Trump’s MAGA allies, both in Washington and across the country, still have concerns about him and doubts about his loyalty. 

‘It seems to be amateur hour at the FDA, and Prasad is an unnecessary distraction,’ a Trump official told the Daily Mail. 

As a hematologist-oncologist who has been vocal about his criticisms of the FDA’s bureaucracy, Prasad has consistently argued that the agency is too slow to embrace scientific progress.

His alignment with HHS Secretary Kennedy, who is leading a sweeping effort to remake federal drug and vaccine regulation, appeared to make him a natural fit for the administration’s agenda.

But last month, Prasad was abruptly forced out of the agency after right-wing activist Laura Loomer highlighted his past remarks that were critical of Trump. 

Loomer said that Prasad had previously called himself a ‘lifelong progressive’ and a fan of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Prasad’s alignment with HHS Secretary Kennedy (pictured), who is leading a sweeping effort to remake federal drug and vaccine regulation, appeared to make him a natural fit for the administration’s agenda 

Prasad’s (pictured) unexpected return to the FDA marks one of the more dramatic personnel reversals of the Trump administration 

The revelation sparked concern among Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, both of whom considered Prasad indispensable to advancing their reform plans.

In July, Makary told Politico that Prasad doesn’t have a ‘political bone to his body.’ 

According to senior administration officials who spoke with Politico, Wiles worked closely with Kennedy and Makary to convince the president that Prasad was not anti-Trump and should be reinstated. 

‘I think it really is something good about the president that he’s willing to change his mind when persuaded,’ one of the senior administration officials told Politico. 

Still, Prasad’s rehiring not only signals Trump’s willingness to overlook past criticisms but also represents a quiet victory for Kennedy, who now has one of his most trusted allies back inside the agency. 

It also underscores the limits of Loomer’s influence in shaping personnel decisions despite her past successes.

She has reportedly been behind nearly a dozen ousts of so-called ‘deep state’ officials she says have been harmful to the administration. Trump reportedly fired multiple officials on the White House National Security Council after an April meeting with Loomer. 

But after Prasad’s rehiring was announced, Loomer called the move ‘demoralizing’ and an ‘open disrespect of the MAGA base.’

Prasad’s reinstatement places him at the center of one of the administration’s most ambitious policy fights: reshaping how the US regulates vaccines and biotechnology. 

According to senior administration officials who spoke with Politico, Wiles (pictured right) worked closely with Kennedy and Makary to convince the president that Prasad was not anti-Trump and should be reinstated 

Loomer has reportedly been behind nearly a dozen ousts of so-called ‘deep state’ officials she says have been harmful to the administration 

Trump reportedly fired multiple officials on the White House National Security Council after an April meeting with Loomer (pictured together in 2024) 

But in a column for Newsmax, Texas-based conservative strategist Charlie Kolean warned that Prasad’s regulatory approach could slow the pace of medical innovation and delay life-saving treatments.

He argued that Prasad’s emphasis on excessive caution would create bottlenecks for biotech development, giving foreign competitors an advantage. And he told the Daily Mail that the FDA’s direction on drug approvals and biotech regulation could shift under Prasad’s leadership.

During his initial stint at the FDA, Prasad blocked the approval of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, citing concerns over the strength of the clinical evidence. The move sparked backlash from patient advocacy groups and families affected by the disease, who argued that the therapy represented a rare and urgent lifeline. The FDA overruled Prasad’s decision, approving the treatment. 

Now, his re-appointment risks widening the gap between the MAGA base and administration insiders.

The Daily Mail contacted Wiles and Loomer for comment.