Trump pulls controversial surgeon general pick and makes third nomination for the role

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Thursday pulled his embattled surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means amid questions over her vaccine views and announced his third pick for the role in Dr. Nicole Saphier.

“Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention, while at the same time working with men and women on all other forms of cancer diagnoses and treatments,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,” he added.

Saphier, a longtime Fox News contributor, is a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

This is Trump’s third nominee for surgeon general in his second term. His first, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York family physician and former Fox News medical contributor, saw her nomination pulled just days before her Senate confirmation hearing was set to begin last year.

Means’ nomination had languished since her tense confirmation hearing in February. A Stanford-educated medical doctor, she’s well-connected to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement as the author of a best-selling book, “Good Energy,” and a close ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Even among MAHA and Trump supporters, she faced skepticism. Some in the MAHA sphere lamented her noncommittal stance on vaccines, while Laura Loomer, Trump’s self described “loyalty enforcer” frequently questioned Means’ support for the president.

And increasingly, the Means vote had looked like a proxy battle over Kennedy, who over the past year has plunged ahead on vaccine policy changes that have rankled some Republicans across the spectrum.

Shortly before announcing Saphier as Means’ replacement, Trump took to Truth Social to blast Sen. Bill Cassidy, who pressed Means on vaccine policy during her confirmation hearing before the committee he chairs.

Trump accused the Louisiana Republican, whom he’s endorsed against in his Senate reelection campaign, of standing in the way of Means, whose nomination had been championed by Kennedy.

“I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!” Trump wrote.

“Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important Health issues facing our Country, such as the rising childhood disease epidemic, increased autism rates, poor nutrition, over-medicalization, and researching the root causes of infertility, and many other difficult medical problems,” he added.

But from the beginning, her nomination was trailed by criticisms of her policy positions and questions about her credentials: She did not complete her residency, and her medical license has lapsed.

CNN previously reported that prior to being withdrawn, Means had for more than a month, sought private meetings with the two Republican senators threatening to sink her nomination.

But as of earlier this month, the meetings with Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins hadn’t happened. Murkowski told CNN in mid-March she was “not enthusiastic about her.”

The surgeon general, known as “the nation’s doctor,” is a physician who focuses on educating and advising Americans on how to improve their health by issuing advisories, reports and calls to action to offer the best available scientific information on crucial issues.

The surgeon general also serves in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, overseeing this group of uniformed officers who seek to promote the nation’s health.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht, Adam Cancryn and Sarah Owermohle contributed to this report.