President Donald Trump on Thursday withdrew the nomination of Dr. Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general and named radiologist and former Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier as his new choice, marking his third pick for the post in his second term. In announcing the switch, Trump praised Saphier as a “STAR physician” and an “incredible communicator,” signaling a move toward a nominee viewed as more likely to navigate Senate scrutiny.
Means, a close ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a prominent figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, had faced bipartisan resistance over her vaccine views, lapsed medical license and decision not to complete residency training. Her nomination had stalled for months, with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy emerging as a key obstacle. Trump publicly blamed Cassidy for derailing her confirmation.
Saphier, a breast imaging specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, has expressed skepticism about parts of the vaccine schedule while also warning that declining measles vaccination rates pose a serious public health problem. Her nomination suggests the White House is seeking a candidate with stronger conventional medical credentials while still appealing to Trump’s health-policy base.
