U.S. President Donald Trump has picked a wellness influencer for surgeon general after withdrawing his previous nomination.
Dr. Casey Means has been tapped for the top role after Trump dropped Janette Nesheiwat, who was scheduled to have a confirmation hearing on Thursday.
Means is seen as a key ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, as is her brother Calley Means, who serves as a White House advisor.
Highlights
- Trump replaced vaccine-friendly nominee Janette Nesheiwat with wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means as his surgeon general nominee.
- Means, allied with Health Secretary RFK Jr., dropped her surgical residency to focus on preventing chronic disease.
- Trump praised Means’ role in advancing MAHA.
- Far-right activists criticized both Nesheiwat for her pro-vaccine views and Means for her lack of active medical practice.
- Means is founder of health tech company Levels, which tracks personal health through lifestyle and biomarkers.
Casey Means dropped out of surgical residency and founded a health tech company
Image credits: Andrew Huberman
Announcing her appointment on Truth Social, Trump said: “Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans.”
MAHA refers to the slogan ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ which focuses on addressing the root cause of chronic disease.
“Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding. Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History,” Trump added.
Nesheiwat will work in another capacity at the health department, Trump said.
Image credits: The White House
The snub comes after journalist Anthony Clark reported that she had misrepresented her medical degree.
Nesheiwat said she had a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, when in fact she had earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Sint Maarten.
The pick also received backlash from far-right activists such as Laura Loomer because of Nesheiwat’s pro-Covid-19 vaccine stance.
But Loomer has also sharply criticized Trump’s new appointment, describing Means as a “witch doctor.”
Means, 37, dropped out of surgical residency “to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room,” according to her website.
She founded health tech company Levels, which tracks people’s bodies across food, exercise, and sleep, as well as biomarkers like glucose and blood work.
In recent years, Means and her brother have surged into the spotlight.
Their rise has been propelled by widely shared interviews in which they criticized the power of the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
Their perspective echoes RFK Jr.’s assertion that much of the nation’s poor health stems from detrimental diets and harmful daily habits.
Means is seen as a key ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Image credits: The White House
In a series of posts on X after Means was announced as Trump’s pick, Loomer claimed Marxists had infiltrated MAGA and said Trump was having a vetting crisis.
One post read: “I want to know which one of President Trump’s geniuses chose a woman who literally talks to trees and spiritual mediums and who doesn’t even have an active medical license to be the US Surgeon General.
“I would call her a Witch Doctor, but she doesn’t even have a valid active medical license. So I’m not going to call @CaseyMeansMD doctor.
“You have no idea how many texts I have received from doctors who are members of Mar a Lago and Bedminster who are like WTF IS THIS. This is honestly insane.”
Image credits: LauraLoomer
Loomer continued: “I do not believe for one second that Donald Trump made this decision. I refuse to believe it.”
Nicole Shanahan, who was RFK Jr.’s running mate during his 2024 presidential campaign, also criticized the appointment.
“I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),” she said on X.
“I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on. It has been clear in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn’t President Trump).
Image credits: CaseyMeansMD
“With regards to the siblings, there is something very artificial and aggressive about them, almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.”
The surgeon general, considered the ‘nation’s doctor,’ oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats.
USPHS is a group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.
The latest appointment drama comes after the Trump administration pulled another health nominee in March.
Trump withdrew former Florida Representative Dave Weldon’s nomination to serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It came after several key Republican senators raised concerns about his skepticism on vaccines, AP reports.