President Trump has nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier for Surgeon General, replacing Dr. Casey Means, whose controversial nomination stalled in the Senate over her limited experience and skeptical views on vaccines, particularly the hepatitis B birth dose. Means, a strong proponent of the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, faced intense scrutiny from both parties, leading to her withdrawal.
President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, for Surgeon General. This decision follows the withdrawal of his previous nominee, Dr. Casey Means, whose path to confirmation stalled in the Senate due to significant concerns regarding her experience and vaccine stance. Means, a 38-year-old Stanford-educated physician turned author and entrepreneur, was a close ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and championed ideas popular with the 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) movement, advocating against overmedicalization and emphasizing lifestyle changes. However, senators from both parties, including Bernie Sanders and Bill Cassidy, grilled her on her lack of completed surgical residency, inactive medical license, and her public skepticism about vaccine recommendations, such as the hepatitis B birth dose. Means had previously called giving the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns whose parents don't have the virus 'absolute insanity.' Despite a push from MAHA activists, her nomination languished since late February. Trump criticized the 'intransigence and political games' surrounding Means' nomination. This marks the second Surgeon General nominee Trump has withdrawn in his second term. Dr. Saphier, while now nominated by Trump, has previously diverged from his medical advice, notably on Tylenol use during pregnancy, advocating for a more nuanced medical approach.
