Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday defended the Trump administration’s push to overhaul the country’s chief federal health agency, arguing that it has descended into “malaise.” 

Kennedy was drawn into controversy this week after the White House said it fired the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency that falls under the Department of Health and Human Services. Former CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted over accusations that she was attempting to block Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.