&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump and his team are 'targeting' two top women officials, but Monarez and Cook aren’t going down quietly - Inside the high-stakes showdown")
Two senior women leaders in the United States are openly challenging moves by Donald Trump and his administration to remove them from their positions, putting up major legal battles. CDC director Susan Monarez and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook have both refused to step down, insisting the president has overstepped his powers.
Susan Monarez refuses to quit as CDC chief
Susan Monarez, who became director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only a month ago, was told on Wednesday that she had been fired. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a statement on her removal but gave no reason.
Monarez, however, says she is still in charge. Her lawyers argue that as a Senate-confirmed presidential appointee, “only the president himself can fire her.” The White House hit back, with Trump spokesperson Kush Desai saying, “Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again… the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC.”
Showdown inside the CDC
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Four top officials, Debra Houry, Daniel Jernigan, Jennifer Layden and Demetre Daskalakis, resigned in protest, accusing the administration of political interference and spreading misinformation. Monarez’s lawyers accused health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr of “weaponising public health for political gain.” They said, “When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives… she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted.”
Lisa Cook takes Trump to court over Fed firing attempt
In a separate battle, Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook has filed a lawsuit against Trump after he announced she was being removed “effective immediately.” The president claimed Cook misrepresented details on a mortgage application. Cook insists the allegation is baseless and says Trump has “no authority” to dismiss her. “I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy,” she said.
Cook’s lawsuit argues her firing attempt is illegal because the Federal Reserve Act only allows removal “for cause,” something Trump’s letter did not show. Her lawyers said she discovered the attempt to remove her through a Truth Social post, not official notice.
Fed independence at risk?
The case could prove historic. For more than a century, Federal Reserve governors have had protection from political pressure. Cook’s lawyers warned that allowing Trump to remove officials for policy disagreements would “render illusory the board’s independence.” The White House insists Trump acted legally, claiming Cook was “credibly accused of lying in financial documents from a highly sensitive position.” Cook, appointed in 2022 by Joe Biden, is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board. Her term runs until 2038.
