Trump Picks Casey Means for Surgeon General Amid Backlash

President Trump withdrew Dr. Janette Nesheiwat's nomination for U.S. Surgeon General after right-wing influencer Laura Loomer criticized her pro-vaccine stance and questioned her credentials. Nesheiwat, despite her medical experience, will reportedly take another role at the Department of Health and Human Services. Trump then nominated Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician and wellness influencer with an inactive medical license who dropped out of her residency. Means, closely aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has promoted alternative medicine and expressed skepticism about vaccines, sparking criticism from former surgeon generals, some MAGA influencers, and Kennedy’s ex-running mate Nicole Shanahan. Her supporters, including Kennedy and White House health adviser Calley Means, endorse her focus on nutrition and chronic disease prevention. The nominations have highlighted divisions in the Trump coalition over public health policy and the qualifications for top government health roles.