WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is withdrawing Casey Means’ nomination for surgeon general and will instead nominate Fox News Channel contributor Nicole Saphier after Means faced significant Senate opposition over her vaccine views and medical background.
Trump praised Saphier in a Thursday social media announcement, calling her “a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment.”
Means encountered intense questioning from senators across party lines regarding her positions on vaccines and other health issues during a difficult confirmation hearing, raising serious concerns about whether she could gather sufficient support for confirmation.
Before announcing the switch, Trump defended Means on social media Thursday morning, calling her “a strong MAHA Warrior” while attacking what he termed “intransigence and political games” from Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who had pressed Means hard on vaccine issues during her hearing.
The decision to pull Means’ nomination represents a significant setback for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his movement, which had strongly backed Means for the surgeon general position despite her unconventional medical background and past controversial statements regarding vaccines and health policy.
The nomination collapse followed heated confrontations between Means and senators from both parties that cast doubt on her ability to secure enough committee votes to advance. Her nomination had been stuck since her late February confirmation hearing, despite efforts by Kennedy’s Make America Great Again movement supporters who flooded Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine with phone calls, though both had expressed concerns about the selection.
Trump’s original nomination of Means last May was aimed at installing a Kennedy ally as the country’s chief medical officer. Means, a Stanford-trained doctor who became disillusioned with traditional healthcare and transitioned to writing and business ventures, advocates for principles central to the MAHA movement, arguing that Americans receive excessive medical treatment and that dietary and lifestyle modifications should be prioritized in combating chronic diseases nationwide.
