Nomination of Jordanian American as US surgeon general withdrawn over credentials controversy
CHICAGO: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday withdrew the nomination of Jordanian-American physician Janette Nesheiwat, a FOX TV medical contributor, to serve as the nation's surgeon general after critics alleged she falsified parts of her medical resume.
In announcing his intention to nominate Nesheiwat in a release on Nov. 22, 2024, then President-elect Trump had said: 'Dr. Nesheiwat is a double board-certified Medical Doctor with an unwavering commitment to saving and treating thousands of American lives.'
He added that she was a 'proud graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' and that her 'journey began with humble roots as one of five children raised by a widowed immigrant mother who worked as a nurse.'
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-president-elect-dona...
The information is reflected on her website at DrJanette.net, which states: 'Dr. Nesheiwat completed her medical residency at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, UAMS.'
https://www.drjanette.net/about-1
But records published by several media houses claim that Nesheiwat actually earned her medical degree from the American University of the CaribbeanSchool of Medicine, located in St. Maarten, in the Caribbean.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-surgeon-general-nominee-dr-janette-ne...
Critics charge that Nesheiwat was never a student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
https://lastcampaign.substack.com/p/trumps-surgeon-general-pick-distorted
Nesheiwat, whose parents are Christian-Arab immigrants from Amman, Jordan, was to appear before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday, May 8, 2025, to testify on her nomination before being confirmed.
But her appearance was removed from the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
The US surgeon general oversees the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.
The USPHS mission is to protect, promote, and advance the health of the nation.
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html#:~:text=The%20Surgeon%20Ge....
Nesheiwat came under further scrutiny after conservative activist and Trump confidant Laura Loomer posted the allegations on Monday on X.
Loomer stated that 'we can't have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn't go to medical school in the US as the US Surgeon General.'
'She is now being accused of lying about her credentials,' added Loomer.
https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1919180558355013817
On X, Loomer has described the COVID-19 vaccinations as 'dangerous.'
She added: 'Vaccines Cause Autism. Even Donald Trump knows this. That's why he has directed his new admin and his HHS secretary @RobertKennedyJr to INVESTIGATE the link between vaccines and autism.'
Nesheiwat's sister, Julia Nesheiwat, is an American academic, business executive and former government official who served as the 10th homeland security advisor in the Trump administration from 2020 to 2021.
She also held various positions in the administrations of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Janette Nesheiwat was involved in a family tragedy when she was 13 years old in 1990.
According to published reports, Nesheiwat had been looking for a pair of scissors when she reached into a fishing box on a shelf in her father's bedroom.
The fishing box fell to the ground and a gun that was in it discharged, killing her sleeping father, Ziad Nesheiwat.
In her 2024 book, 'Beyond the Stethoscope,' Nesheiwat said she became a doctor as a result of the tragedy.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beyond-the-Stethoscope/Janette-Ne...
Ironically, the man Nesheiwat was to succeed as surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, who was dismissed by Trump on April 21, had issued a public advisory in July 2024 that accidental firearm discharge deaths are 'an urgent public health crisis.'
https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/vivek-murt...
At the time of going to press, Nesheiwat had not responded to the news of the nomination withdrawal.
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