Trump pulls Casey Means' stalled surgeon general nomination, announces new pick

April 30, 2026 - 22:22

President Donald Trump has officially withdrawn Dr. Casey Means' nomination for U.S. surgeon general and announced a new pick for the position. The president said he will nominate Dr. Nicole Saphier, a former Fox News Channel contributor and radiologist, to lead the nation's public health messaging.

Means' nomination had stalled in the Senate for weeks. Lawmakers raised concerns about her limited experience in public health administration and her past statements questioning vaccine safety. Without enough support to clear a confirmation vote, the White House pulled her name from consideration.

Trump praised Saphier as a strong communicator who can restore trust in federal health guidance. Saphier has been a regular guest on Fox News, where she often defended the administration's pandemic response and criticized lockdown measures. She currently works as a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and has written books on cancer prevention and media bias in medicine.

The surgeon general role does not require Senate confirmation for the withdrawal, but Saphier will need to go through the standard confirmation process. No timeline has been set for her hearings. The position has been vacant since the previous surgeon general resigned last year.