Trump pulls Casey Means' nomination as surgeon general, naming Nicole Saphier as replacement
The White House said the move clears a stalled confirmation fight after senators questioned Means’ experience and vaccine views, while Saphier has backed parts of the MAHA agenda.
- On Thursday, President Donald Trump withdrew Casey Means' nomination for U.S. surgeon general and announced Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, a board-certified radiologist, as her replacement.
- Means' nomination stalled after a February 25, 2026, Senate HELP Committee hearing where lawmakers questioned her vaccine stance and lack of an active medical license.
- Trump praised Saphier as a 'STAR physician' and 'INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR' who makes 'complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,' contrasting her with Means' wellness background.
- Accusing Senator Bill Cassidy of 'intransigence and political games,' Trump called him 'very disloyal' and urged Louisiana voters to remove him in the May 16 Republican primary.
- Saphier is Trump's third surgeon general nominee in his second term, following failed vetting and confirmation struggles that have complicated the administration's public health agenda.
269 Articles
269 Articles
Trump’s Surgeon General Search: Casey Means Out, Casey Means In Groucho Glasses & Mustache In!
A quick reminder: America has not had a confirmed Surgeon General at the federal level since January of 2025. Yes, that's over a year ago. How we got here is a microcosm of the Trump administration generally: chaos, misfires, and the wrong people at the very top. Janette Nesheiwat was Trump's first nominee. MAGA gremlin…
Trump drops Casey Means as surgeon general pick, taps radiologist Nicole Saphier
President Donald Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means as his nominee for surgeon general on Thursday and announced he would nominate Dr. Nicole Saphier, a breast-cancer imaging specialist and Fox News contributor, to the post instead. The move came after months of stalled confirmation proceedings that Trump blamed squarely on Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican...
President Trump’s new pick for surgeon general has both praised and cringed at his administration
Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Donald Trump's latest pick for the vacant role of U.S. surgeon general, a nomination that ended the embattled campaign of his previous candidate, Dr. Casey Means.
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