Shanahan Accuses RFK Jr. of Deception or Outside Control

President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer without an active medical license, as the next U.S. Surgeon General, replacing his initial nominee Dr. Janette Nesheiwat amid controversy. Means, who has connections to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and shares his vaccine skepticism, has faced criticism from Trump supporters and health experts over her lack of clinical experience and medical qualifications. Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s former running mate, publicly expressed alarm and confusion over Means’ nomination, claiming she was promised that neither Means nor her brother, Calley Means—a White House health adviser—would hold positions under HHS. Shanahan suggested that Kennedy might have lied to her or that someone other than President Trump is controlling Kennedy’s decisions at HHS, describing the Means siblings as "artificial and aggressive" and likening them to "Manchurian assets." Trump praised Means’s “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” and highlighted her potential impact on reversing the chronic disease epidemic in the U.S., while Shanahan’s accusations have fueled speculation about internal conflicts within the administration.