Trump withdraws Surgeon General nomination, selects MAHA Dr Casey Means

The White House announced on Wednesday that President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for US Surgeon General and has replaced her with Dr. Casey Means, a physician aligned with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative.

“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. “Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, 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.”

Trump praised Means’ academic background and professional work, calling her "absolutely outstanding" and suggesting she "has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History." He added that Nesheiwat would instead serve in "another capacity at HHS."

Nesheiwat’s confirmation hearings in the Senate were set to begin Thursday before the nomination was abruptly withdrawn. She is also the sister-in-law of Mike Waltz, who was recently removed as National Security Adviser following a controversy involving a journalist being added to a Signal chat where military plans were reportedly discussed. Waltz has since been nominated to serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Dr. Means, alongside her brother, White House health adviser Calley Means, is known for advocating a shift in national health priorities to address chronic diseases and increase scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry. Both have been vocal supporters of RFK Jr.’s approach to health policy and have criticized the medical establishment for a lack of transparency amid rising disease rates. Both Means siblings appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience last year, where they discussed chronic conditions such as autism, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.

Casey Means is also the co-founder of Levels, a health technology company that tracks health information through devices such as glucose monitors.