Latest news with #NicoleShanahan
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
RFK Jr. dodges question on if he is being controlled after his ex-running mate suggested he is not in charge
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the Trump administration's new pick for surgeon general and reassured he is not being 'controlled,' as his former running mate suggested. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that Dr. Casey Means, a surgeon-turned-wellness influencer, will replace Janette Nesheiwat as his surgeon general nominee. In an interview on Thursday, Fox News host Bret Baier questioned Kennedy over recent remarks made by his former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, during his brief 2024 presidential run, who suggested he was being 'controlled.' Following Trump's announcement, Shanahan called the pick 'strange' and said she was promised Means wouldn't have a role in the administration if she backed Kennedy during his Senate confirmation. 'I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on. It has been clear in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn't President Trump),' she wrote on social media this week. Kennedy dodged the question. 'Listen, you've got sitting here four people who were all canceled during Covid,' he told Baier, referring to the men sitting next to him: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and National Institutes of Health director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. 'The entire leadership of this agency are renegades who are juggernauts against convention and who are trying to look for truth, no matter what the cost. Casey is among those,' Kennedy said. The Fox News host also pressed the secretary about Means' background, noting the swift criticism she's already received. 'Obviously, she's come under her own criticism about some of the things she's advocated for, she never finished her residency, and she doesn't currently have an active medical license,' Baier said. 'But that's not an issue?' Kennedy defended her accomplishments, mentioning that she was at the 'top of her class' at Stanford University. Means 'walked away from traditional medicine because she was not curing patients,' the secretary replied. 'She couldn't get anybody within her profession to look at the nutrition contributions to illness, and she said, 'If we're really gonna heal people, if we're healers, we can't just be making our life about billing new procedures. We actually have to figure out new approaches to medicine, and that's the kind of leadership that she's gonna bring to our country.' When asked about what happened with Nesheiwat, who withdrew her bid for the post, Kennedy said the administration believed Means 'was the best person to really bring the vision of [Make America Healthy Again] to the public.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
RFK Jr.'s running mate criticizes surgeon general nominee
Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate has spoken out against President Donald Trump's new surgeon general nominee - and suggested someone besides the Health and Human Services secretary and Trump is pulling the strings. The president stunningly announced Wednesday he was nominating Casey Means to be the nation's top doctor and work directly with Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services to direct health policy. Nicole Shanahan (pictured), who ran as Kennedy's pick for vice president during his short-lived 2024 presidential run, called the nomination 'strange' - and claimed that Kennedy had 'promised' her neither Casey nor her brother Calley would serve at the Department of Health and Human Services if she were to support Kennedy's nomination to the Cabinet position. 'Yes it's very strange. Doesn't make any sense,' she wrote in response to another post expressing concern that Casey has 'just about no clinical experience.' 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these sibling would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),' Shanahan claimed on X. She added that she is now unsure whether RFK Jr 'very clearly lied to me,' but said: 'It has been apparent in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone who is controlling his decisions (and isn't President Trump).' The billionaire divorcee then concluded her message by hitting out at the Means siblings, saying 'there is something artificial and aggressive' about them 'almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.' Means (pictured) is a Stanford University-trained physician and runs a business on on holistic health and combating chronic illness, according to her website. Her book, 'Good Energy: The Surprising Connection between Metabolism and Limitless Health' is a New York Times Bestseller. Means criticizes the conflicts of interest in the food industry and the government agencies that regulate them as well as the importance of physical activity in promoting wellness. She is also popular in the podcast community and the MAHA (Make America Healthy AGAIN) movement, appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Tucker Carlson Show to discuss the future of public health and wellness. Her brother, Calley, a former food industry lobbyist, has also previously been appointed as a special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services. '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 wrote on Truth Social, making the announcement. 'Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding,' he continued, sayin she 'has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States history.' Kennedy also expressed his support for the nominee in a Thursday morning post on X, calling her a 'breath of fresh air. 'She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom and gold-standard medical advice, even when it challenges popular orthodoxies,' he wrote. 'She will be a juggernaut against the ossified medical conventions that have helped make our people the sickest in the world at the highest cost per capita.' But many are now skeptical about Means' credentials to be the next surgeon general. She does not have an active medical license, having never completed her training as an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon after graduating from Stanford University's medical school - leading to criticism from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, according to the Independent. 'How is the top doctor in the US supposed to give medical guidance and advice to the nation when she doesn't even have an active medical license in the state where she allegedly practiced medicine?' Loomer asked, rhetorically. 'Does Casey Means even have an active medical license in any state??' 'This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration,' she lamented. In a separate post, Loomer said 'It is worth noting that Casey Means doesn't have a surgical residency and isn't a surgeon. 'The term Surgeon General is interesting given the fact that there is no requirement to be a surgeon to be Surgeon General,' she continued. 'Turns out you can be a social media influencer and become Surgeon General.' Others have also attacked Means for not being skeptical enough about vaccines, even though she has declared it is 'criminal' to require vaccinations and said she supports Kennedy 'relentlessly pushing for vaccine safety.' Means claimed that 'the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule' could be the cause of health problems in children - and supported Kennedy's efforts to investigate the matter. It now appears Trump appointed Means to be the country's top doctor after he received backlash for his first pick to hold the position - former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat (Pictured). Her credentials had come into question last month after CBS News reported she graduated from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine rather than the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. Many in Trump's base also had concerns over Nesheiwat's former support of vaccinations, sharing clips of her participating in the TikTok trend of dancing nurses trying to inform the public about how to protect themselves during the pandemic in 2020 and praising Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for censoring and banning so-called 'misinformation' about vaccines on Facebook and Instagram. But it seems Nesheiwat grew more skeptical about the federal government's guidance in recent years, as she criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for profiting off unnecessary vaccines for kids in 2022. 'There's no good reason to have a vaccine that can't stop disease, can't stop transmission on the scheduled vaccination,' she said during an appearance on then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show. Still, Trump ultimately decided to pull Nesheiwat's nomination - just one day before she was set to appear at the US Senate for her confirmation hearing. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need. RFK Jr.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
RFK Jr's running mate lashes out over surgeon general nominee and makes bold claim about who is pulling the strings
Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate has spoken out against President Donald Trump 's new surgeon general nominee - and suggested someone besides the Health and Human Services secretary and Trump is pulling the strings. The president stunningly announced Wednesday he was nominating Casey Means to be the nation's top doctor and work directly with Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services to direct health policy. Nicole Shanahan, who ran as Kennedy's pick for vice president during his short-lived 2024 presidential run, called the nomination 'strange' - and claimed that Kennedy had 'promised' her neither Casey nor her brother Calley would serve at the Department of Health and Human Services if she were to support Kennedy's nomination to the Cabinet position. 'Yes it's very strange. Doesn't make any sense,' she wrote in response to another post expressing concern that Casey has 'just about no clinical experience.' 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these sibling would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),' Shanahan claimed on X. She added that she is now unsure whether RFK Jr 'very clearly lied to me,' but said: 'It has been apparent in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone who is controlling his decisions (and isn't President Trump).' The billionaire divorcee then concluded her message by hitting out at the Means siblings, saying 'there is something artificial and aggressive' about them 'almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.' Shanahan claimed Kennedy told her neither Casey Means nor her brother would be appointed to positions at the department if she supported his nomination to the Cabinet position Means is a Stanford University-trained physician and runs a business on on holistic health and combating chronic illness, according to her website. Her book, 'Good Energy: The Surprising Connection between Metabolism and Limitless Health' is a New York Times Bestseller. Means criticizes the conflicts of interest in the food industry and the government agencies that regulate them as well as the importance of physical activity in promoting wellness. She is also popular in the podcast community and the MAHA (Make America Healthy AGAIN) movement, appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Tucker Carlson Show to discuss the future of public health and wellness. Her brother, Calley, a former food industry lobbyist, has also previously been appointed as a special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services. '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 wrote on Truth Social, making the announcement. 'Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding,' he continued, sayin she 'has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States history.' Kennedy also expressed his support for the nominee in a Thursday morning post on X, calling her a 'breath of fresh air. 'She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom and gold-standard medical advice, even when it challenges popular orthodoxies,' he wrote. 'She will be a juggernaut against the ossified medical conventions that have helped make our people the sickest in the world at the highest cost per capita.' But many are now skeptical about Means' credentials to be the next surgeon general. She does not have an active medical license, having never completed her training as an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon after graduating from Stanford University's medical school - leading to criticism from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, according to the Independent. 'How is the top doctor in the US supposed to give medical guidance and advice to the nation when she doesn't even have an active medical license in the state where she allegedly practiced medicine?' Loomer asked, rhetorically. 'Does Casey Means even have an active medical license in any state??' 'This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration,' she lamented. In a separate post, Loomer said 'It is worth noting that Casey Means doesn't have a surgical residency and isn't a surgeon. 'The term Surgeon General is interesting given the fact that there is no requirement to be a surgeon to be Surgeon General,' she continued. 'Turns out you can be a social media influencer and become Surgeon General.' Others have also attacked Means for not being skeptical enough about vaccines, even though she has declared it is 'criminal' to require vaccinations and said she supports Kennedy 'relentlessly pushing for vaccine safety.' Means claimed that 'the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule' could be the cause of health problems in children - and supported Kennedy's efforts to investigate the matter. It now appears Trump appointed Means to be the country's top doctor after he received backlash for his first pick to hold the position - former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat. Her credentials had come into question last month after CBS News reported she graduated from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine rather than the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. Many in Trump's base also had concerns over Nesheiwat's former support of vaccinations, sharing clips of her participating in the TikTok trend of dancing nurses trying to inform the public about how to protect themselves during the pandemic in 2020 and praising Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for censoring and banning so-called 'misinformation' about vaccines on Facebook and Instagram. But it seems Nesheiwat grew more skeptical about the federal government's guidance in recent years, as she criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for profiting off unnecessary vaccines for kids in 2022. 'There's no good reason to have a vaccine that can't stop disease, can't stop transmission on the scheduled vaccination,' she said during an appearance on then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show. Still, Trump ultimately decided to pull Nesheiwat's nomination - just one day before she was set to appear at the US Senate for her confirmation hearing.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Is RFK Jr. Being ‘Controlled'? Former Running Mate Nicole Shanahan Makes Surprising Claim After Surgeon General Pick
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate Nicole Shanahan claimed on X she thinks there's someone 'controlling' the health secretary's decisions—and specifying it wasn't President Trump—as she lashed out against Trump's controversial pick for Surgeon General, Casey Means. Then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (right) with running mate Nicole Shanahan during ... More an event in Oakland, California, on March 26, 2024. Shanahan, the ex-wife of billionaire Google cofounder Sergey Brin, posted on X on Wednesday night after Trump announced Means as his nominee nominated for Surgeon General, after his first choice withdrew her nomination. The pick is 'very strange' and 'doesn't make any sense,' Shanahan wrote on X, claiming she was 'promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation' as health secretary that neither Means or her brother Calley Means—now an advisor to Kennedy—'would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be).' Shanahan wondered whether 'RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on,' claiming, 'It has been clear in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn't President Trump).' She went on to describe the Means siblings as having 'something very artificial and aggressive about them,' likening them to being 'bred and raised Manchurian assets.' HHS directed Forbes to Kennedy's post on X responding to Means' nomination, in which he described Means as a 'breath of fresh air' who was 'born to hold this job' and claimed she 'will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom, and gold-standard medical advice even when it challenges popular orthodoxies.' Shanahan is a Silicon Valley lawyer and entrepreneur who gained prominence and wealth from her marriage to Google cofounder Sergey Brin. The pair later divorced in 2023—allegedly because Shanahan had an affair with Elon Musk, which both have denied—and are wealth is Forbes estimates her wealth as possibly close to $1 billion. She became Kennedy's running mate during his failed 2024 presidential campaign, running as an Independent after previously donating to Democrats, and without previous political experience. She has maintained a combative political profile since, even threatening to fund primary opposition against any senator who voted against Kennedy's confirmation. Like Kennedy, Shanahan has expressed skepticism about vaccines and support for 'alternative' medicine, and The Daily Beast notes she has also recently shared conspiracy theories about chemtrails released into the air by the government. Means is a wellness influencer best known for founding the company Levels, which provides wearable glucose monitors for tracking blood sugars, and for authoring the book 'Good Energy,' which NPR notes rails against 'traditional' medicine's ability to combat chronic illness. She is considered to be part of Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' movement that eschews traditional evidence-backed medicine in favor of more alternative treatments, with The New York Times noting she has also expressed skepticism of vaccines. Means' appointment has become controversial even among some on the right, with far-right activist Laura Loomer decrying her as a 'WOO WOO WOMAN' on X on Thursday. Trump told reporters Thursday he had picked Means as surgeon general because of Kennedy, saying he picked her because 'Bobby really thought she was great,' adding, 'I don't know her, I listened to the recommendation of Bobby.' Shanahan's post decrying Means comes after she previously praised the new surgeon general nominee and her brother. 'Calley and Dr. Casey Means, siblings on a mission to end corruption and help Make America Healthy Again,' Shanahan wrote on X on Sept. 6. Calley Means responded to the post, writing, 'Thanks Nicole - we are inspired by you and proud to be on this mission.' Kennedy has been one of the most controversial members of Trump's Cabinet, given his controversial views on vaccines. His agency has drawn scrutiny since taking office for steps like floating a registry of Americans with autism and announcing changes for vaccine approval, raising alarm among critics that the health secretary is molding the nation's health services to fit his vaccine skeptic views. Trump announced Means as the surgeon general after his first nominee, Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, withdrew her nomination, which NPR reports was amid concerns about how she had represented her credentials as a physician. Trump said on Truth Social Wednesday that Nesheiwat will still serve in 'another capacity' at HHS.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RFK Jr.'s former running mate rules out 2026 CA governor run, hints at activism: 'Watching closely'
Nicole Shanahan, Silicon Valley philanthropist and Robert F. Kennedy's running mate during his 2024 presidential race, has ruled out a gubernatorial run in California for the 2026 election to replace the termed-out liberal Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Shannahan made the announcement Friday on Steve Hilton's podcast when asked about her priorities in the Golden State. "My priorities are and, you know, Steve, I'm just gonna share with you now; I'm giving you the exclusive. I'm not running for governor in 2026," Shanahan told Hilton, a Fox News contributor. Scorched-earth Shanahan: Rfk Jr's Former Running Mate Threatens Political War Against Confirmation Opponents "I believe that my job in 2026 is to get people to break out of their political orthodoxy, to think about what is really in the best interest of California," she said. "I am not a Democrat, I am not a Republican, I am an independent, and I'm here to support the revival of California." She continued, saying "now is the time for people to step up" and that she will be "watching closely" and "supporting" individuals who "continue to be brave enough to stand up against harmful political ideology to do what is right for the people." Read On The Fox News App Shanahan has been involved in several political efforts in California, including being a major donor in the effort to recall Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Trump Surrogate Corrin Rankin Picked To Lead Blue State's Gop: 'Make California Great Again' As Kennedy faced high-stakes congressional confirmation hearings to lead the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, Shanahan singled out several senators, warning that she would financially support primary challengers if they voted against his confirmation as secretary. "Dear U.S. Senators, Bobby may play nice; I won't," she wrote in a post on X. Who Is Nicole Shanahan? Meet The Wealthy Entrepreneur Rfk Jr Selected As His Vp Running Mate Several candidates have announced their intentions to run for governor of California in the 2026 election, while others are still considering their options. Katie Porter, the former liberal congresswoman, has launched her bid, focusing on advocating for working families and opposing former President Trump's policies. Eleni Kounalakis, California's lieutenant governor, has officially entered the race, seeking to continue Newsom's policies. Other candidates include Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff who is running on the Republican ticket. Bianco's platform centerson law enforcement issues and border security. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is also rumored to be considering a 2026 run, and her decision could have a major impact on the race, particularly among Democratic article source: RFK Jr.'s former running mate rules out 2026 CA governor run, hints at activism: 'Watching closely'
