Overview

• President Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and RFK Jr. ally, to be the next U.S. Surgeon General on May 7, following the withdrawal of his initial nominee, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
• Dr. Means has never completed her surgical residency, has an inactive medical license since January 2024, and has no government or public health leadership experience.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the HHS Secretary, defended Means, stating her departure from traditional medicine aligns with the goals of the Make America Healthy Again movement.
• Trump initially praised Means as potentially 'one of the finest Surgeon Generals in U.S. history' but later distanced himself, saying 'I don’t know her' when questioned about her qualifications.
• The nomination has drawn bipartisan criticism, with concerns over Means’s unconventional background, vaccine skepticism, and the potential erosion of public trust in health institutions.