Trump Withdraws Casey Means, Names Fox Contributor Nicole Saphier as Surgeon General Pick

Trump announced the change in a series of Thursday posts. He said Senator Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, blocked Means' confirmation and called the senator “a very disloyal person.”

Casey Means, a Stanford‑trained doctor turned wellness influencer, had been under Senate review since her February hearing. Lawmakers raised concerns about her vaccine stance and the fact she left her medical residency and does not hold an active license. If confirmed, she would have served as the nation’s top medical officer without the ability to practice medicine.

Trump’s new nominee, Nicole B. Saphier, is a breast radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She also appears on Fox News and runs an herbal‑supplement company that has questioned vaccine safety. Saphier’s background blends clinical work with public‑media commentary and commercial health products.

The shift reflects ongoing tension between the White House and Senate Republicans over health‑policy appointments. Cassidy’s opposition to Means aligns with broader Republican unease about candidates linked to the “Make America Health Again” movement, which promotes alternative therapies and vaccine skepticism.

Trump framed the move as a correction, noting that Means was nominated at the recommendation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who shares the MAHA (Make America Health Again) agenda. He thanked Means for her advocacy and said she would continue to fight for the movement.

The nomination of Saphier raises questions about the administration’s stance on public‑health messaging, especially as the nation navigates ongoing COVID‑19 challenges and debates over vaccine confidence. Senate confirmation will likely focus on her clinical credentials, her public statements on vaccines, and potential conflicts of interest from her supplement business.

Watch for the HELP Committee’s hearing schedule and any statements from health‑policy groups as the nomination proceeds.