Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez’s lawyers rejected her firing by the Trump administration, arguing that only President Donald Trump himself could fire her.

Monarez surprised many earlier on Wednesday when her lawyers rebuffed reports that she had resigned, saying she would not do so. Later that evening, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Monarez was “no longer” head of the CDC after a protracted disagreement with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy. The move came after days of pressure from Kennedy and other administration officials over whether she would support rescinding certain approvals for COVID-19 vaccines, sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.