RFK Jr. Ousts Top HHS, CDC Leaders, Elevates Medicare Chief as White House Moves to Sideline Deputy Chief of Staff Stefanie Spear
President RFK Jr. has reshuffled top health department leadership, removing Deputy Secretary/acting CDC director Jim O’Neill and elevating CMS official Chris Klomp. Two White House officials and another person familiar say HHS principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor Stefanie Spear is being pushed into a diminished role amid complaints about her performance and past conflicts, though White House spokesperson Kush Desai denies any change and says she will remain a senior counselor; Spear is one of RFK Jr.’s closest aides with roots in his environmental and anti‑vaccine advocacy.
📌 Key Facts
- Two White House officials and another person familiar say HHS principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor Stefanie Spear is being pushed into a diminished role.
- Sources say the move is part of the same leadership overhaul that removed HHS Deputy Secretary/acting CDC director Jim O’Neill and elevated CMS official Chris Klomp.
- Sources describe the change as a demotion driven by White House frustration with Spear’s performance and her inability to work well with others; one official called her "psycho" and said she "does not play well with others."
- White House spokesperson Kush Desai denied any change to Spear’s role, called the report "absolute fake news," said she will remain a senior counselor and key HHS official, and declined to confirm whether she will retain the principal deputy chief of staff title.
- Spear is described as one of RFK Jr.’s closest aides, with a background in his environmental and anti‑vaccine advocacy and service through his 2024 presidential campaign.
- The reporting recounts past friction with Trump allies, including a 2025 Wall Street Journal report that transition officials sidelined her over vaccine‑belief litmus tests for nominees and public criticism from Laura Loomer accusing her of disloyalty to Trump.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 18, 2026
2:39 AM
White House moves to sideline key RFK Jr. aide as part of HHS shake-up
New information:
- Two White House officials and another person familiar say HHS principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor Stefanie Spear is being pushed into a diminished role as part of the same leadership overhaul that removed Deputy Secretary/acting CDC director Jim O’Neill and elevated CMS official Chris Klomp.
- Sources describe the move as a demotion driven by White House frustration with Spear’s performance and her inability to work well with others; one White House official told MS NOW she was considered 'psycho' and 'does not play well with others.'
- A White House spokesperson, Kush Desai, went on record denying any change in Spear’s role, calling the report 'absolute fake news' and saying she will remain a senior counselor and key HHS official, while declining to say whether she will retain the principal deputy chief of staff title.
- The article details Spear’s background as one of RFK Jr.’s closest aides from his environmental and anti‑vaccine advocacy through his 2024 presidential campaign, and recounts past friction with Trump allies, including a 2025 Wall Street Journal report that the transition team sidelined her over vaccine‑belief litmus tests for nominees and criticism from Laura Loomer accusing her of disloyalty to Trump.
February 13, 2026