President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer associated with the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, to serve as Surgeon General. The announcement came Wednesday, withdrawing the previous nomination of Janette Nesheiwat.
Mr. Trump cited Dr. Means' "impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials" in a social media post. He stated she would focus on reducing chronic disease and improving the health of Americans.
Dr. Means has cultivated a significant online following, often expressing skepticism toward the traditional medical establishment and promoting diet and lifestyle changes. She dropped out of a surgical residency program and founded a company focusing on health metrics. She also profits from dietary supplements and skin care products.
Her viewpoints often align with the Make America Healthy Again movement, which questions the scientific community and large food corporations. This perspective is also shared by other figures, including teenagers like Ava Noe in the Boston area, who promote similar ideas online teen-wellness-influencer-health-maha.html.
Dr. Means and her brother, Calley Means, served as advisors to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign. They helped facilitate his endorsement of Mr. Trump last summer. Calley Means is currently a White House adviser who advocates for policies consistent with the MAHA agenda, such as removing fluoride from drinking water fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69 and restricting SNAP benefits.
A central theme for Dr. Means is the argument that many chronic health issues stem from diet and lifestyle, particularly the consumption of processed foods ultraprocessed-foods-healthy-diet-0501eb985016149541e6cc727e55dfea. While many experts agree diet impacts health, some caution against oversimplifying the role of all processed foods, noting the category's diversity.
Dr. Means has largely avoided Mr. Kennedy's debunked claims regarding vaccines rfk-kennedy-election-vaccines-2ccde2df146f57b5e8c26e8494f0a16a. However, she has advocated for more investigation into vaccine safety and easing restrictions on lawsuits against drugmakers.
The nomination follows the withdrawal of Ms. Nesheiwat, a medical director and regular television commentator. Her nomination faced criticism from figures like Laura Loomer and questions regarding her medical education. Ms. Nesheiwat was scheduled for a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
The withdrawal marks another change in health agency appointments for Mr. Trump. Former Florida Rep. Dave Weldon withdrew from consideration to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March after facing concerns over his vaccine skepticism and lacking sufficient support for confirmation cdc-director-david-weldon-senate-hearing-f4c6b6deb5bed31e74d11cf25f8e92d3.
Ms. Nesheiwat stated, "I am looking forward to continuing to support President Trump and working closely with Secretary Kennedy in a senior policy role to Make America Healthy Again! My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed."
