WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The interim commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has responded to concerns about his past legal work on behalf of Planned Parenthood, insisting he is pro-life and that he sought to be removed from the pro-abortion assignment.

On Tuesday, the White House confirmed the resignation of FDA chief Marty Makary, amid a storm of issues including internal staff turmoil and his handling of abortion pills, vaccines, and nicotine products. He is temporarily being replaced by Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas until a permanent successor is nominated, although concerns have arisen over Diamantas’s own abortion credentials.

Previously an attorney with the law firm Baker Donaldson, Diamantas was once listed as outside counsel for Planned Parenthood in a dispute over whether using space in a Florida medical complex for abortions violated property rules against “outpatient surgical centers.” A court sided with Planned Parenthood, but, in 2019, Planned Parenthood of Orlando agreed to a settlement that stopped it from committing surgical abortions.

On Wednesday, Live Action founder Lila Rose revealed she had spoken with Diamantas, who sought to answer pro-life fears.

“He told me he regrets work he performed as an outside attorney for Planned Parenthood in Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando v. MMB Properties,” Rose said. “He shared that he was assigned to the case by his law firm, performed work on it, and ultimately regretted his involvement because of his moral opposition to abortion. He then asked his superiors to remove him from the case. He said that he is pro-life and cares deeply about the pro-life cause.”

“I also raised the urgent crisis of the abortion pill,” she added. “Nearly 11% of women who take mifepristone experience serious adverse events, and the abortion pill has killed millions of American babies. Diamantas told me that reviewing the abortion pill is a top priority for him and the administration.”

Today I spoke directly with Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas.

He told me he regrets work he performed as an outside attorney for Planned Parenthood in Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando v. MMB Properties. He shared that he was assigned to the case by his law firm,…

— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) May 13, 2026

While the comments are encouraging, Rose went on to stress, “Now we need to see action. The FDA must urgently take action on mifepristone, confront the mounting evidence of harm to women, and address the abortion pill regime that has killed millions of preborn children. We and millions of Americans across the nation who value the right to life expect this administration to advance strong pro-life protections for both mothers and their children.”

Further, there is no telling whether President Donald Trump will choose Diamantas as the permanent replacement for Makary, and the Trump administration’s position on abortion pills ultimately rests with the president, not the FDA commissioner.

Last fall, Louisiana sued the FDA over its Biden-era removal of the requirement for an in-person visit to receive mifepristone, a move that they and 21 supporting states say drastically expanded the abortion pill’s usage, encroached on state law, and harmed women such as co-plaintiff Rosalie Markezich, who was pressured into taking abortion drugs her boyfriend ordered online.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Louisiana earlier this month, briefly halting remote distribution of abortion pills and prompting emergency appeals to the Supreme Court, which has stayed the Fifth Circuit ruling twice now, allowing the pills to resume while the parties submit their arguments. The current stay is set to expire May 14 but could be extended again.

The case has been a source of ongoing pro-life frustration ever since Trump declared in the 2024 presidential campaign that he would not reverse Biden’s relaxations of abortion pill rules. In May 2025, the Trump administration promised to review the data on abortion pill dangers, giving hope of reversal of its stance, but a year without updates has prompted frustration among pro-lifers, with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) going so far as to question if the study is underway at all. 

The administration insists that the review is still coming and that Louisiana’s lawsuit should be rejected so as not to preempt whatever it concludes. But frustrated pro-lifers have said that a new official finding on the pills’ safety should not be necessary to restore enforcement of the federal law against mailing abortion pills across state lines and have grown tired of waiting indefinitely.

Last December, many pro-life leaders called for Makary’s firing over a Bloomberg report alleging that “behind the scenes, he told agency officials to delay the safety review” until “after the midterm elections,” according to unnamed “people familiar with the discussions.” Makary denied the slowness and silence was due to anything but diligence in reviewing all the data, yet many pundits and activists settled on Makary, rather than Trump, as the root of the problem.

Time will tell what changes with Makary’s ouster. A spokesperson for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said that a recent White House meeting with pro-life leaders was “very constructive,” but no updates on abortion pills have been announced so far.