President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Dr. Casey Means, a holistic medicine doctor, wellness influencer and supporter of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, to serve as surgeon general.
The move came after Trump at the last minute pulled the nomination of his previous choice, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, praising Means’ “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” and stating she will work closely with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary 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.”
The Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job. She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom, and gold-standard medical advice… https://t.co/VmQOhf93h5
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) May 8, 2025
Nesheiwat was set to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions today for her confirmation hearing. However, her nomination recently came under increased scrutiny.
According to NBC News, conservative commentator Laura Loomer called Nesheiwat’s previous support of the COVID-19 vaccine and “DEI-focused initiatives” into question.
The New York Times cited reports that “raised questions about the veracity of Dr. Nesheiwat’s résumé.”
NBC News reported that Means, a proponent of metabolic health, holds medical and undergraduate degrees from Stanford University. She previously held research positions at the National Institutes of Health, NYU and Oregon Health & Science University.
Children’s Health Defense CEO Mary Holland said:
“It is exciting news that Dr. Casey Means has been newly nominated as Surgeon General to replace Dr. Nesheiwat’s nomination. Means’ book ‘Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health,’ and her appearance on Tucker Carlson highlight her deep personal and professional interest in ending the chronic disease epidemic.
“She comes to the nomination with strong support from the President and Secretary Kennedy. Although some in the health freedom movement have expressed skepticism, this is a critical moment when the MAHA movement must come together.”
In an October 2024 interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, Casey and her brother, Calley Means, said environmental contamination and the lack of food regulation in the U.S. have contributed to the metabolic disruption that afflicts many Americans and plays a key role in the chronic disease epidemic.
Means co-founded the health technology company Levels, which focuses on tracking health information through the use of devices such as glucose monitors. She and Calley Means, recently appointed as a special government employee at HHS, “are high-profile proponents of Kennedy’s MAHA agenda,” The Hill reported.
In a post on X, Calley Means congratulated his sister and said she will help Trump and Kennedy “change the world.”
President Trump just announced @CaseyMeansMD as his Surgeon General pick.
Here are some videos of her speaking about the existential chronic disease crisis.
I am so proud of her and know she will help the President and @SecKennedy change the world.https://t.co/D2UYI5xVKB
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) May 7, 2025
According to Politico, Means was under consideration for the surgeon general nomination as early as November 2024.
Newsweek reported that if Means is confirmed as surgeon general, she would “serve as the nation’s leading voice on public health” and have the authority to issue health advisories.
Means would also oversee the 6,000-member U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Nesheiwat’s academic credentials, prior support for COVID shots questioned
Nesheiwat, medical director at CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey, is a former Fox News medical contributor.
Trump nominated her for surgeon general in November 2024. However, she was a controversial choice from the outset, due to her previous support of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Questions about Nesheiwat’s nomination intensified in recent weeks, after Loomer wrote in a post on X that she “is not ideologically aligned” with Trump and called for a “different nominee that was more aligned with personal liberties.”
Nesheiwat’s credentials also drew scrutiny. Last month, CBS News reported that Nesheiwat had received her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and not from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, as she claimed at the time of her nomination.
Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of outgoing National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who was ousted following the Signal app messaging scandal. Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a highly sensitive group chat about military strikes. Last week, Trump nominated Waltz to serve as United Nations ambassador.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said Nesheiwat would work with Kennedy “in another capacity at HHS.”
Mixed reactions to Means, withdrawal of Nesheiwat’s nomination
Reactions to the withdrawal of Nesheiwat’s nomination and the subsequent nomination of Casey Means were mixed among health freedom advocates.
Health freedom advocate Sayer Ji, co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, said the withdrawal of Nesheiwat’s nomination “represents a resounding victory for the health freedom movement.”
Means’ nomination is “striking — not only for her credentials, but for what she represents.”
“Her focus on root-cause healing, food-as-medicine, and lifestyle-based prevention mirrors the values of the MAHA movement and the millions of Americans awakening to a more empowered vision of health.” Ji said her past work “shows a commitment to questioning entrenched narratives.”
Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro adopted a different view, saying that Means’ nomination is “concerning and disappointing.”
“The role of surgeon general demands more than just communication skills or political alignment,” Perro said. “It requires extensive public health training, clinical experience across many diverse working environments, and a nuanced understanding of health systems, crisis response and policy development. Unfortunately, the newly appointed candidate does not bring that level of experience to the table,” Perro said.
Perro said Nesheiwat had “a proven track record in national security, emergency coordination and health policy.” Addressing concerns about her past support of the COVID-19 shots, Perro said Nesheiwat “criticized renewed COVID-19 mandates as a ‘wrong move’ and questioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to include COVID-19 vaccines in the routine childhood immunization schedule.”
It is not yet known when the U.S. Senate will hold a confirmation hearing for Means. If she wins the nomination, Means will report to the assistant secretary for health.
Recent articles in The Defender- Trump’s Picks for Surgeon General and Top Posts at FDA, CDC Earn Mixed Reviews
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- ‘Absolute Disaster’: Pharma Whistleblower Slams Popular Weight-Loss Drug
- RFK Jr. Wants CDC to Stop Recommending COVID Shots for Kids, Inside Sources Say
- ‘We Will Do That Right Away’: RFK Jr. Promises Better Vaccine Injury Tracking, as White House Launches MAHA Commission
