Trump Withdraws Surgeon Common Nominee Janette Nesheiwat, Nominates Casey Means
Washington, D.C. – Could 8, 2025 – President Donald Trump introduced on Could 7, 2025, that he’s withdrawing his nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as U.S. Surgeon Common, simply at some point earlier than her scheduled Senate affirmation listening to. In a Reality Social submit, Trump revealed that Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer with ties to Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would change Nesheiwat as his nominee. The abrupt choice follows controversy over Nesheiwat’s tutorial credentials and criticism from conservative activist Laura Loomer.
Nesheiwat, a former Fox Information medical contributor and medical director at CityMD pressing care clinics, confronted scrutiny after stories surfaced that she misrepresented her medical training. CBS Information revealed that Nesheiwat earned her medical diploma from the American College of the Caribbean College of Drugs in St. Maarten, not the College of Arkansas College of Drugs, as she had claimed on LinkedIn and in public profiles. Whereas she accomplished her residency on the College of Arkansas, she didn’t obtain a level there, a discrepancy first highlighted by freelance journalist Anthony Clark on Substack. Moreover, Loomer criticized Nesheiwat’s previous assist for COVID-19 vaccines, calling her “not ideologically aligned” with Trump’s well being initiatives and citing her 2021 Fox Information op-ed describing the vaccine as “a present from God.” Loomer’s posts on X, together with one on Could 5, 2025, urged Trump to pick out a brand new nominee, arguing Nesheiwat’s vaccine advocacy and alleged involvement in a medical malpractice case made her unfit for the position.
Trump praised Means’ “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials,” referring to the “Make America Wholesome Once more” motion, and said she could possibly be “one of many best Surgeon Generals in United States Historical past.” Means, who attended Stanford Medical College however left her residency as a consequence of disillusionment with the healthcare system, is the sister of Calley Means, a White Home adviser carefully aligned with Kennedy. Each siblings have promoted nutrition-based well being options and criticized pharmaceutical-driven healthcare, gaining consideration after a Tucker Carlson interview in 2024. Trump famous that Nesheiwat would serve in one other capability on the Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS), with Nesheiwat confirming on X that she would work in a senior coverage position to assist the MAHA initiative.
The withdrawal marks the second time Trump has pulled a high-ranking well being nominee, following the cancellation of former Rep. Dave Weldon’s nomination as CDC director in March 2025 as a consequence of inadequate Senate assist. Nesheiwat’s nomination had initially been introduced on November 22, 2024, with Trump lauding her as a “fierce advocate for preventive medication.” Nonetheless, her restricted public well being expertise and Fox Information tenure, coupled along with her promotion of hydroxychloroquine throughout the pandemic—regardless of its unproven efficacy—drew skepticism from public well being consultants.
Sentiment on X displays polarized reactions. Supporters like @RealAmVoice praised the withdrawal, echoing Loomer’s considerations about Nesheiwat’s vaccine stance, whereas critics like @ArtCandee labeled the change to Means, a Joe Rogan fanatic, as a “clown present.” The shakeup underscores ongoing vetting challenges in Trump’s administration, with Nesheiwat’s familial tie to former Nationwide Safety Adviser Mike Waltz, lately nominated as U.N. ambassador, including to the controversy.
As Means prepares for her affirmation course of, the main target shifts to her alignment with Kennedy’s well being agenda and whether or not her holistic medication background will resonate with the Senate and the general public.
Sources: POLITICO, CNBC, NBC Information, ABC Information, CBS Information, MSNBC, Axios, CNN, The New York Instances, Bloomberg, Fox Information, posts on X
