President Trump selected a top White House aide, Dr. Heidi Overton, as his next choice to lead the Food and Drug Administration. "She is SMART and RESPECTED by all! Dr. Heidi will work with Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz to RAPIDLY deliver on my priorities of FASTER Cures, INCREASED American Innovation, MAJOR Clinical Trial Reforms, LOWER Drug Prices, and even more MAHA WINS!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration, which sits inside Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's health department, regulates a huge swath of the American economy, including everything from pet vaccines and e-cigarettes to lettuce and cancer treatments.

Overton, who helps lead the Domestic Policy Council, has guided many of the health policies of Trump's second term and was by the president's side earlier this month as he signed a new executive order to pare back the list of recommended childhood vaccines and tied immunization to autism-a connection scientists say doesn't exist.

Trump ousted his last FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, in May, after a string of management headaches for the White House and disagreement over vaping policy. The agency, which cut thousands of employees last year, has been dogged by low morale and turnover in its top leadership ranks

Overton previously trained under Makary at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and was a staunch defender of him in the administration. She will need Senate confirmation and will face a hearing before the Senate's health committee, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.), who has blasted Trump's recent moves on vaccines.

She may face a tough road to confirmation. "Industry will view this pick as extremely troublesome and FDA career staff will continue to flee the agency," wrote Raymond James analyst Chris Meekins.

Kennedy has publicly praised Overton, but some of his allies have blamed her for slowing down some of his preferred Make America Healthy Again policies. She also didn't favor moves to loosen regulation on marijuana and boost psychedelics, though she ultimately worked to rush out Trump's executive order on psychedelics, people familiar with the matter said.

"Witnessing the steep fall into depths of the swamp with Overton. Very sad day for MAHA," wrote Kelly Ryerson, an ally of Kennedy's and an anti-pesticide activist, on social media.

Overton previously worked at America First Policy Institute, the think tank previously helmed by Brooke Rollins, now agriculture secretary. Bloomberg earlier reported Overton's selection.

Advisers earlier this summer submitted to Trump names for three possible choices to lead the FDA, which is currently being led on an acting basis by its former food division head, attorney Kyle Diamantas. The three candidates were Overton, New York oncologist Dr. Jeff Vacirca and Dr. Stephen Ferrara, a top health official in the Defense Department.

Some in the pharmaceutical industry who viewed Overton as too closely tied to Makary also voiced their opposition to her nomination, people familiar with the matter said.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.), a pharmacist, was discussed by officials as a possible nominee, people familiar with the matter said. Carter was interested in the position, a person familiar with the matter said.

Overton obtained her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.