CDC erupts in chaos after ousted chief Susan Monarez refuses to resign

Lawyers for Monarez say she was targeted' for protecting the public' by not endorsing unscientific' orders

The US's top public health agency was plunged into chaos on Wednesday after the Trump administration moved to oust its leader Susan Monarez, sworn in less than a month ago, as her lawyers said she would not resign and that she was being targeted" for her pro-science stance.

Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was ousted on Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that offered no explanation its decision.