'Great job': Trump heaps praise on top official he pushed out

President Donald Trump named a new acting director for the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday after the president reportedly signed off on a plan to oust FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.

Trump announced the news on his Truth Social platform ahead of his trip to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. Makary is the latest in a string of high-profile Trump administration officials to depart, following the firings of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as the resignation of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer amid a misconduct investigation.

"I want to thank Dr. Marty Makary for having done a great job at the FDA," Trump wrote. "So much was accomplished under his leadership. He was a hard worker, who was respected by all, and will go on to have an outstanding career in Medicine. Kyle Diamantas, a very talented person, will be put in the Acting position."

Trump's warm public statement stood in contrast to days of reporting that he had signed off on a plan to fire Makary last week. Speaking to reporters before departing for China, Trump offered a less flattering assessment, saying Makary "was having some difficulty" and declining to say whether he had asked the commissioner to resign.

Makary's ouster followed sustained pressure from within the administration and from outside allies. He had resisted approving the sale of flavored e-cigarettes — a move that reportedly prompted Trump to confront him directly — and faced mounting criticism from anti-abortion groups over a stalled safety review of mifepristone, one of two pills used in medication abortions.

Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, will serve as acting commissioner while the White House identifies a permanent replacement.