Attorneys for CDC Director Susan Monarez stated Wednesday that she will not resign, despite pressure from White House officials and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove her. The officials criticized Monarez for prioritizing “protecting the public” over what they described as a political agenda.

Monarez’s lawyers, Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that she refused to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives” or dismiss dedicated health experts, choosing public safety over political interests. This stance, they said, made her a target.

The conflict began when HHS Secretary Kennedy and his deputy chief of staff, Stefanie Spear, pushed Monarez to support changes in COVID-19 vaccine policies and fire senior staff, which she declined to do. Following this, HHS announced that Monarez was “no longer director” of the CDC, leading to resignations among senior officials.

The White House confirmed her termination via spokesperson Kush Desai, who said President Trump has the authority to dismiss the CDC director. Desai accused Monarez of not aligning with Trump’s health agenda and stated she was terminated after refusing to resign voluntarily.

Monarez’s attorneys disputed the termination’s legality, noting she was the first Senate-confirmed CDC director appointed by Trump. They argued her removal requires presidential action and notified the White House Counsel of their stance. Monarez was appointed just a month ago, after Trump’s first nominee, Dave Weldon, failed Senate confirmation partly due to his vaccine skepticism, according to ABC News.