President Trump on Thursday announced a new nominee for surgeon general, pulling the nomination of Dr. Casey Means.

“I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Dr. Nicole B. Saphier to be the next SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention, while at the same time working with men and women on all other forms of cancer diagnoses and treatments,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans. Dr. Nicole Saphier will do great things for our Country, and help, ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN.’ Congratulations Nicole, our Country has long been waiting for you!” he added.

NBC News has more:

The title of Saphier’s 2020 book, “Make America Healthy Again,” became the slogan for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda. The book discusses many of the subjects that Kennedy has focused on, including the possibility of preventing chronic diseases by adjusting lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.

Her 2021 book, “Panic Attack,” criticizes pandemic-era shutdowns and school closures — views that align with those of several top health officials, including Kennedy and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health and is acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ADVERTISEMENT

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department directed NBC News to the White House.

Means, a close ally of Kennedy, faced a tough Senate confirmation hearing in February, when she fielded questions about her controversial views on vaccines, birth control and pesticides — subjects she had previously described as dangerous to human health.

Trump said Thursday on Truth Social that Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., had stood in the way of Means’ nomination and called the senator “a very disloyal person.”

“For months, Senator Bill Cassidy (of the GREAT State of Louisiana!), a very disloyal person whose ‘TRUMP’ Endorsement got him elected, but later voted to impeach ‘President Trump’ on what has now proven to be a total Hoax and Scam, has stood in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nominee, Casey Means, for the important position of U.S. Surgeon General. I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!” Trump wrote.

“Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important Health issues facing our Country, such as the rising childhood disease epidemic, increased autism rates, poor nutrition, over-medicalization, and researching the root causes of infertility, and many other difficult medical problems. Casey, thank you for your service to our Nation!” he added.

CNN noted:

This is Trump’s third nominee for surgeon general in his second term. His first, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York family physician and former Fox News medical contributor, saw her nomination pulled just days before her Senate confirmation hearing was set to begin last year.

The surgeon general, known as “the nation’s doctor,” is a physician who focuses on educating and advising Americans on how to improve their health by issuing advisories, reports and calls to action to offer the best available scientific information on crucial issues.

The surgeon general also serves in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, overseeing this group of uniformed officers who seek to promote the nation’s health.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.