Trump Picks Wellness Advocate Casey Means as Surgeon General, Replacing Nesheiwat

President Donald Trump on 8 May 2025 nominated Dr. Casey Means to serve as U.S. Surgeon General, abruptly withdrawing his earlier choice of emergency physician Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. The switch marks the second time the White House has replaced a health-related nominee this year. Means is a Stanford-trained physician who left her otolaryngology residency six months before completion and does not currently hold an active medical license. Now a wellness influencer and leading figure in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, she advocates holistic approaches to metabolic disease. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime ally, urged her selection. Asked why he chose Means, Trump replied, “Because Bobby thought she was fantastic. I don’t know her.” While Kennedy and other supporters praise her for challenging conventional medicine, public-health organizations and some Republican figures—including Kennedy’s former running mate Nicole Shanahan—say her lack of clinical experience and past vaccine skepticism raise serious concerns. The nomination heads to the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties are expected to scrutinize her credentials and policy positions.