In November, then-President-elect Donald Trump praised his pick for U.S. Surgeon General, former Floridian Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
“Dr. Nesheiwat is a fierce advocate and strong communicator for preventive medicine and public health,” Trump said in a statement at the time. “She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives.”
On May 7, the day before Nesheiwat was due to face her Senate confirmation hearing, Trump announced in a post to Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that he was now nominating Dr. Casey Means,
Means is a wellness influencer with no governmental experience who promotes the idea that the origin of most diseases is caused by processed foods and a lack of sunlight and exercise.
“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,” he said.
Nesheiwat to work ‘in another capacity’ at HHS
Trump added that Nesheiwat, a FOX News medical contributor who is board-certified in emergency and family medicine, would instead be working “in another capacity” at the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I am looking forward to continuing to support President Trump and working closely with Secretary Kennedy in a senior policy role to Make America Healthy Again!” Neishewat said in a statement. “My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed.”
Why was Nesheiwat bounced in favor of Means, a physician and author with a large online following? No official reasons have been provided, but according to sources familiar with the president’s decision, Nesheiwat’s previous positions on masking, social distancing and her support of COVID-19 vaccines do not mesh well with the MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”) vision and questions about her medical degree arose.
Here are some factors that could have led to the sudden upset.
Nesheiwat called the COVID-19 vaccine ‘miraculous’
While she has criticized government mandates, Nesheiwat has called the COVID vaccine “nothing short of miraculous” and a “gift from God,” and has called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine highly effective.
That would bring her into conflict with HHS Secretary and noted vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has downplayed infectious diseases despite scientific findings.
“The best way to protect yourself, if you haven’t already, is get your vaccine, get that third dose, get the booster, and of course, if you’re in crowded public areas indoors, wear a mask to protect yourself if you’re high-risk, if you have underlying medical conditions,” she said on Fox in 2022. “If you feel like you’ve been exposed, get tested. if you feel like you have symptoms, stay at home.”
There were doubts about Nesheiwat’s resume
Nesheiwat has said that she earned her medical degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, but freelance journalist Anthony Clark reported last month that she actually earned her degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten.
A spokesperson for the University of Arkansas confirmed to CBS News that while Nesheiwat completed her residency through its family medicine program in Fayetteville, Arkansas, she did not obtain her medical degree there.
Nesheiwat is related to Mike Waltz
Nesheiwat’s sister Julia, a captain in U.S. Army military intelligence who served in multiple national security and economic advisory positions during the Bush, Obama and Trump presidencies, is married to Mike Waltz, Trump’s former national security adviser and a former U.S. congressman from Florida.
After only 101 days in office, Waltz was out as national security adviser a month after taking responsibility for accidentally inviting the editor-in-chief of Atlantic Magazine into an online chat between top national security officials to discuss operational details for airstrikes in Yemen. Hours later, Trump announced that Waltz would be his nominee for ambassador to the United Nations.
Laura Loomer came after Nesheiwat last week
Far-right provocateur, 9/11 conspiracist, and Trump adviser Laura Loomer has spoken out about Trump administration members before. In April, Trump fired at least four senior officials on the National Security Council, a day after Loomer visited the White House to talk about people she suspected of being insufficiently loyal to his agenda. She also took credit for Trump firing the director and the No. 2 official at the NSA.
Loomer haassos talked about the “controversial” Nesheiwat as far back as November. On May 4, ahead of the confirmation hearing, she posted a lengthy X post pointing out that the doctor has been entangled in medical malpractice litigation since 2021. She also criticized Nesheiwat’s “promotion of DEI-focused initiatives implemented through City M.D., and her advocacy for the China Virus ‘vaccine.'”
“She should not be confirmed by the US Senate to hold the position,” she said.
Who is Casey Means? Doctor, influencer already connected to RFK Jr.
Means is a 37-year-old Stanford-educated physician, author, popular internet health influencer who appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, and co-founder of Levels, a glucose monitoring tech company.
She is also the sister of Calley Means, an outspoken supporter and close adviser to RFK Jr., and former lobbyist Calley Means, with whom she served as adviser to RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign.
Means dropped out of her surgical residency program, the Associated Press reported, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine. Along with her income from Levels, she sponsors dietary supplements, creams, teas and other products on her social media accounts.
The sisters co-authored the 2024 book “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health” and have championed Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform. They are advocates for his focus on addressing chronic diseases.
Loomer has slammed Means, too.
“MAHA is literally being taken over by Marxists and Grifters,” Loomer wrote on X early May 8, amid a series of posts, many of which called Means out by name. “The entire MAHA movement is being taken over by Marxist Trump haters. It’s a full-fledged vetting crisis.”
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Who is Casey Means? Trump drops Florida pick for surgeon general for health influencer
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, Savannah Kuchar and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
