This week, Jim Jones, head of the food division at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) resigned.
Jones’ division oversees inspections and recalls.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Jones resigned due to the “indiscriminate firing” of nearly 90 staff members.
“It has been increasingly clear that with the Trump administration’s disdain for the very people necessary to implement your agenda... it would have been fruitless for me to continue in this role,” Jones said in a letter to FDA's acting commissioner. The letter was obtained by WSJ.
Jones claimed that the Trump administration axed 89 people in the FDA’s human foods program.
BREAKING: FDA food chief Jim Jones resigns after President Trump cuts thousands of federal workers. pic.twitter.com/pqSBbuquF5
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 18, 2025
Jones’ resignation also came days after Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed to spearhead the FDA, as Townhall covered.
In an interview with Stat News, Jones expressed that he was not happy with the Trump administration.
“I, personally, and the organization were very excited about the agenda that Secretary Kennedy has articulated for foods, in particular around nutrition and food chemical safety,” Jones said. “But so far, all of the actions we’re seeing from this administration — not just the rhetoric, which is very … dismissive would be the nicest thing to say about what they’ve said about federal employees — but also their actions.”
“So they’ve fired 89 people” Jones added, stating “Many of them were going to be doing chemical safety work. Some were doing nutrition work.”