President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is withdrawing his surgeon general nomination for the second time.
Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, replacing “Make America Healthy Again” nominee Dr. Casey Means. Before Means, Trump had nominated Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for the role before withdrawing her nomination.
“I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Dr. Nicole B. Saphier to be the next SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “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.”
“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,” Trump added.
In a separate post, Trump slammed Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who held up Means’ nomination. The president said he hopes Louisianans vote Cassidy out of office.
“For months, Senator Bill Cassidy (of the GREAT State of Louisiana!), a very disloyal person whose ‘TRUMP’ Endorsement got him elected, but later voted to impeach ‘President Trump’ on what has now proven to be a total Hoax and Scam, has stood in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nominee, Casey Means, for the important position of U.S. Surgeon General,” Trump said.
Trump said he nominated Means, a “strong MAHA Warrior,” at the recommendation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
“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 said. “Casey, thank you for your service to our Nation!”
Trump told The Daily Signal on March 29 he was considering withdrawing Means’ nomination.
“Something like that would be possible,” he said.
However, the White House stood by her nomination.
“Dr. Casey Means has spent her entire career as an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and researcher bringing attention to America’s chronic disease epidemic and how our healthcare system is failing the American people,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the time.
The Southern Baptist Convention raised concerns about Means’ past use of illicit drugs, as detailed in her book “Good Energy,” and her lack of commitment in her confirmation hearings to limit the abortion pill.
Means stood out as one of the few public figures willing to take a stance against the birth control pill, saying it is prescribed “like candy” and reflects a “disrespect of things that create life.”
