‘HIV Is Too Woke’: Why This Gay Doctor Resigned From Trump’s CDC [WATCH]

Key Points:

• Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention director, resigned in August 2025 citing the Trump administration's politicization of the CDC and rejection of scientific evidence, particularly under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who he accused of promoting anti-vaccine policies.
• Under Trump’s second term, HIV prevention funding was drastically cut, with the president’s budget nearly zeroing out CDC HIV programs despite congressional pushback, reflecting an administration view that HIV initiatives were "too woke" and not aligned with their ideological goals.
• The administration has also removed LGBTQ-related data collection and resources from the CDC, impairing public health efforts by erasing critical information about transgender and other marginalized communities, which Dr. Daskalakis warns will worsen stigma and health outcomes.
• Dr. Daskalakis expressed deep concern that Medicaid cuts and unstable healthcare access for people living with HIV could lead to increased transmission, drug resistance, and a reversal of progress made since the 1990s, describing the current trajectory as a "time machine backwards."
• The erosion of trust in federal public health institutions like the CDC has led Dr. Daskalakis to recommend reliance on local health providers and departments, while emphasizing the urgent need for the government to restore equity, data transparency, and evidence-based policies to regain public confidence.