White House withdraws another key nomination with last-minute pivot to MAHA influencer for US surgeon general

CNN

07-05-2025

The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump is pulling Dr. Janette Nesheiwat's nomination to be surgeon general and replacing her with Dr. Casey Means. The news came the day before Nesheiwat's Senate confirmation hearing was set to begin.
'Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 'Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding. Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History. Congratulations to Casey! Secretary Kennedy looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS.' '
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.
Nesheiwat, a New York family physician and former Fox News medical contributor, was scheduled to have a hearing with senators Thursday.
She is also the sister-in-law of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who had been on shaky ground within the administration after he inadvertently added a journalist to a messaging app group chat about highly sensitive military strikes. Trump recently nominated Waltz to serve as UN ambassador.
Means is a holistic medicine doctor whose prominence rose with the Make America Healthy Again movement and its ties to Kennedy's presidential campaign.
Both Means and her brother, White House health adviser Calley Means, have made frequent public appearances at MAHA events and on podcasts, arguing that Americans are sick with chronic disease because the health care system and federal agencies are prioritizing medication and financial incentives over nutrition and holistic health.
Means went to Stanford Medical School but has told the story of dropping out of her residency at age 30 when she became disillusioned with the health care system.
'I'm trying to understand, why don't I feel right about my work?' she said on the Joe Rogan podcast last year. 'I just started looking at the data in a different way, and I started to look at what was happening with health trends.'
In March, the White House withdrew its nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to direct the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention less than an hour before his hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Before the abrupt withdrawal, White House officials had privately voiced concerns about Weldon's comments expressing skepticism about vaccines. Dr. Susan Monarez was later nominated to lead the agency.