Trump withdraws Casey Means nomination, names Nicole B. Saphier as Surgeon General
The new nominee, founder of Drop Rx, faces scrutiny over past false claims about CDC powers despite recent statements acknowledging vaccine efficacy.
President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of Casey Means to serve as Surgeon General and announced a new candidate, Nicole B. Saphier. The decision follows a public rebuke of Senator Bill Cassidy, the chair of the Senate HELP Committee, whom Trump accused of being disloyal for stalling Means' confirmation process.
In a series of social media posts, Trump described Cassidy as a "very disloyal person" who stood in the way of his preferred nominee, a move that included a direct appeal to Louisiana voters to vote Cassidy out of office. This public confrontation marked the end of Means' tenure as a contender, a position she held as a prominent figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement and a Stanford University-trained doctor who had since left her medical residency.
The administration has now turned to Saphier, a breast radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a long-time Fox News contributor. Trump highlighted her career guiding women facing breast cancer and described her as an incredible communicator. Saphier holds a medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados and completed her radiology residency through Creighton University School of Medicine.
Saphier's professional profile also includes her role as the founder of Drop Rx, a company that produces herbal supplements and wellness products. Her public presence on social media has featured promotions for various tinctures and teas, alongside claims regarding health benefits that have drawn attention from health experts and media observers.
The nomination has immediately drawn scrutiny regarding Saphier's past statements on vaccination. In 2022, she falsely claimed on social media that the CDC planned to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren, a power the agency does not possess. Although this specific claim was incorrect and sparked outrage, she has since stated that vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to prevent serious illness, while expressing skepticism toward the original CDC vaccine schedule.
This shift in personnel occurs against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny over the administration's health policies, particularly following the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary. Saphier has not overtly opposed Kennedy's recent changes to federal vaccine recommendations, positioning her as a candidate who may navigate the complex landscape of the administration's evolving stance on public health.
