Overview

• President Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-trained wellness influencer, to replace his initial Surgeon General pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, who faced credential backlash.
• Means, who left her surgical residency incomplete and holds an inactive medical license, has drawn criticism for her lack of traditional public health qualifications.
• Her nomination aligns with the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has defended her as a reformer outside the conventional medical system.
• The nomination has sparked concerns over politicization of public health, with Means's vaccine skepticism and promotion of alternative health practices adding to the controversy.
• Some within the MAHA movement have criticized Means for not being sufficiently anti-vaccine, despite her alignment with many of its principles.