President Donald Trump withdrew Casey Means' nomination for surgeon general on Thursday and named Nicole B. Saphier as his new candidate, ending a pick that had stalled in the Senate since February. [1]
Means' nomination had been in limbo since her hearing before the Senate HELP Committee, where Sen. Bill Cassidy led the panel. Cassidy and several other Republicans had reservations about her vaccine views and her qualifications. [1]
Means holds a medical degree, but she dropped out of residency and does not have an active medical license. She is tied to the MAHA movement, promotes wellness products and has publicly expressed vaccine skepticism. [1]
Trump blamed Cassidy for blocking Means and called the senator disloyal. In a post, Trump said he had nominated Means, "a strong MAHA Warrior," at the recommendation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and described Cassidy as "a very disloyal person" for standing in the way of the nomination. [1]
Saphier is a breast radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, a Fox News contributor and the founder of an herbal supplement company. Trump elevated her as the next nominee after pulling Means' name from consideration. [1]
