Dr. Robert Redfield: Trump is right to cut waste and save malaria initiatives

March 25, 2025

Few people appreciate President Donald Trump’s effort to reform the federal government like I do. As director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I witnessed firsthand the perils of untamed bureaucracy.

Launched in 1946 to combat malaria, the CDC has experienced severe mission creep over the past several decades. Almost contrary to its original objective of controlling and preventing communicable disease outbreaks, the agency now focuses on many areas that are well beyond its historical purview, such as gun violence, climate change, and social determinants of health. Today, the CDC commands an annual budget of more than $9 billion to perform, in many cases, redundant work that Congress has already tasked other agencies with doing.

When the administrative state expands its scope, not only do taxpayers bear the burden, but agencies become less nimble and able to respond to crises. It’s this lack of efficiency that Trump is working to correct across the whole of the federal government. The U.S. Agency for International Development, whose budget had ballooned to more than $40 billion, was a justified target for review and a reduction in force.

However, not everything funded through USAID needed to go into the woodchipper. That includes our lifesaving programs overseas — there are quite a few programs that make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

Read the full article in The Washington Examiner.

Dr. Redfield’s extensive experience in infectious disease control and his firsthand leadership of the CDC make his keynote both insightful and highly relevant. His perspective on public health policy, government reform, and pandemic preparedness offers valuable lessons for navigating the complexities of modern healthcare systems. Dr. Redfield’s speaking engagements are managed exclusively by WWSG. To host him for your event, contact us.