Dr. Brian Christine is the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services
This one is very fresh and quite remarkable. Dr. Brian Christine is the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, a position he assumed in November 2025. He is currently one of the Trump administration's top officials in charge of infectious disease policy — and he became a subject of significant public scrutiny this week when he was put front and center to manage the federal response to a hantavirus outbreak.
Before joining the Trump administration, Christine was an Alabama-based urologist who specialized in penile implants. He has little public health experience and a history of far-right commentary and promoting conspiracy theories. He went directly from private practice to helping lead the federal government's public health response. He was well regarded in the medical field for his expertise in sexual health, including surgical procedures to treat erectile dysfunction, to the point of hosting a YouTube series called "Erection Connection" aimed at urologists treating the condition. Cook Political ReportSpectrum News
The contrast between his specialty and his current responsibilities became impossible to ignore this week. Controversy erupted after Christine emerged as one of the leading federal voices addressing a growing hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. Critics quickly questioned why a specialist in men's sexual health — rather than an infectious disease or epidemiology expert — was fronting a major public health crisis. He stood before reporters in Nebraska promising a response "grounded in science" and "grounded in transparency," which critics found incongruous given his background. Wikipedia
While running for Alabama State Senate, Christine was endorsed by Matt Whitaker and described as "absolutely pro-life at all stages." His past social media activity and public commentary have also drawn scrutiny, with CNN reporting that he spread conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines during the Biden administration. Spectrum News
He fits a broader pattern that's drawn increasing attention — alongside Kyle Diamantas at the FDA, Trump's latest pick for surgeon general is Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News talking head, and FEMA's director of the Office of Response and Recovery is Gregg Phillips, who has promoted fringe theories. The through line in each case is that political loyalty and ideological alignment appear to be weighted more heavily than relevant expertise for some of the country's most consequential public health roles. Military.com