Newsom Picks a Dogfight With Trump and RFK Jr. on Public Health By Angela Hart March 9, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/gavin-newsom-california-public-health-fight-west-coast-alliance-trump-hhs-rfk/ KFF Health News: Newsom Picks A Dogfight With Trump And RFK Jr. On Public Health California Gov. Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as a national public health leader by staking out science-backed policies in contrast with the Trump administration. After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez for refusing what her lawyers called “the dangerous politicization of science,” Newsom hired her to help modernize California’s public health system. He also gave a job to Debra Houry, the agency’s former chief science and medical officer, who had resigned in protest hours after Monarez’s firing. (Hart, 3/9)