A wave of appreciation greeted three senior CDC staff members in Atlanta, Georgia, as they staged a walkout after making a bold and unified decision. A video posted on Reddit captured the moment the three officials walked out of CDC headquarters, surrounded by a line of supporters on both sides of the walkway. Members of the press broke through the crowd to capture the historic scene, with several cameras focused directly on the trio.
The officials stopped to shake hands with supporters, while the only woman among them shared a heartfelt hug with another lady in the crowd. Applause echoed nonstop as people cheered, shouting words of gratitude: “Thank you so much!” The staff smiled warmly, nodding in acknowledgment as the media cleared a path for them to pass. Placards waved above the crowd, with one reading “Save the CDC” and another declaring “Thank you, CDC.”
The praise extended online, where Reddit users flooded the comment section with support. One person wrote, “Thank you, CDC! Americans who don’t believe in fantasy bs thank you!” Another, impressed by the turnout, added: “I’m stoked that so many good people gathered to support these principled CDC staff members!”Others called for even greater action. One user urged, “Hell yes. More of this at every level of government. Y’all don’t have to put up with this shit. If you all walk out, they can’t fire you all. They need you. We need you.”
Another praised them as “Real Americans that truly have the good of the people in their actions.” In a show of unity, someone else chimed in: “I love how the country is coming together against this incompetent, authoritarian government! Bravo, Atlanta!👋👋”
According to MSNBC, the three officials were identified as Dr. Deb Houry, former Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; and Dr. Daniel Jernigan, former Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
They resigned from office in protest against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had recently fired another staff member for refusing to comply with his directive to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” Critics argue that such directives endanger the health of citizens nationwide.
One of the resigning officials explained the power of their joint decision: “If one of us resigned, it would have been a blip. When the three of us do it together, it’s more powerful, and it shows the state of our agency.” Their collective action now awaits the intervention of Congress.
