‘We want to rebuild trust’: fired CDC workers form group to combat Trump’s war on science

Former employees stepped up to create the National Public Health Coalition to advocate for public health after Trump's cuts to the agency

Abby Tighe thought she had landed her forever job. She joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2023, managing a national youth substance abuse prevention program. The project focused on rural communities, and Tighe, whose family is from Appalachia, was proud to be using her public health training to support often-overlooked parts of the country. The CDC was different than anywhere else I've worked," says Tighe. People didn't care about their own ambitions as much as they cared about the larger mission. It was always my dream to work there."

That dream ended a year ago, when Tighe received a form email on 14 February letting her know the Trump administration was firing her. Classified as a probationary worker, she was one of the first to lose her job in what quickly became a dramatic downsizing of the CDC workforce. To date, the current administration has either fired or is in the process of firing more than 4,000 CDC employees - a third of the agency.