In a significant shift, U.S. President Donald Trump has named Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor, as his new nominee for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. This announcement was made on Thursday, following the withdrawal of Casey Means from consideration for the role.
The decision comes amid political tensions, particularly with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who has been accused by Trump of obstructing Means’ nomination. Trump criticized Cassidy as “a very disloyal person” in light of the developments surrounding Means’ candidacy.
Means, previously allied with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., struggled to secure the necessary votes to advance her nomination from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Cassidy. Her involvement in the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has expressed skepticism towards vaccines, raised further concerns among lawmakers. Additionally, she is not a practicing physician, a fact that contributed to doubts regarding her suitability for the role.
In his announcement, Trump praised Dr. Saphier as a “STAR physician” who has dedicated her career to guiding women through breast cancer diagnoses and treatments while advocating for early detection and prevention. Saphier is notably the author of the book “Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion Dollar Crisis.”
Trump took to Truth Social to emphasize Saphier’s credentials, while earlier defending Means against Cassidy’s opposition. He stated, “Despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important health issues facing our country.” In response to Cassidy’s actions, Kennedy labeled Means as one of the movement’s “most powerful evangelists” and maintained that she would remain a vital partner in their initiatives.
This marks Trump’s third attempt to fill the Surgeon General position, following the prior withdrawal of Janette Nesheiwat’s nomination. Both nominees faced resistance from far-right activists, as seen in the pointed questioning Means received during her confirmation hearing on critical public health issues such as vaccines and birth control.
Means’ withdrawal was characterized as a “clear-cut victory for public health” by Lisa Gilbert, co-president of watchdog organization Public Citizen, who expressed concerns about her qualifications. In contrast, Dr. Saphier holds an active medical license and is currently the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering, with a medical degree from Ross University and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic.
As the process moves forward, the role of Surgeon General remains pivotal in providing the public with accurate and actionable health information.
