NEED TO KNOW
- On Wednesday, May 7, President Donald Trump announced that he was nominating Dr. Casey Means to be the new U.S. surgeon general, replacing his initial pick.
- The nomination quickly drew scrutiny as Means is a wellness influencer who did not finish her medical residency and does not currently have a valid medical license.
- Despite touting Means’ qualifications on Truth Social, Trump told reporters the following day that he doesn’t know her.
President Donald Trump recently announced a change of plans in his administration, withdrawing his previous nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general and naming her replacement.
On Wednesday, May 7, the president’s Truth Social account revealed his new nomination of Dr. Casey Means, a medical professional and wellness influencer, who is closely linked to the “Make America Healthy Again” ideology espoused by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“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,” Trump’s post read. “Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding.”
“Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History,” the post continued.
Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg via Getty
However, less than 24 hours after Trump’s Truth Social post, the president backtracked when faced with questions about Means’ qualifications.
On Thursday morning, an Oval Office reporter asked Trump, “You just announced a new nominee for the U.S. surgeon general who never finished her residency and is not a practicing physician. Can you explain why you picked her to be America’s top doctor?”
“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic,” he answered, referring to RFK Jr.
“I don’t know her,” he added.
AP Photo/Ben Curtis
While Means completed her undergraduate degree and medical school at Stanford University, she never finished her surgical residency. In her book, Good Energy, and in public appearances, Means has said that her residency experience left her disillusioned with the state of modern medicine.
Ultimately, she did complete enough postgraduate work to qualify for a medical license in Oregon, and turned to alternative medicine. Her website purports her ultimate goal to be “working towards a healthier and happier planet by empowering people to understand their health and the limitless potential within them.”
It remains to be seen, however, if Means’ nomination will hold up to congressional scrutiny — particularly given that her medical license has been inactive since January 2024, according to Oregon public records.
Means clearly has a strong supporter in RFK Jr., who took to X on Thursday with a lengthy defense against Means’ critics.
“The attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA,” he wrote. “Casey is the perfect choice for Surgeon General precisely because she left the traditional medical system–not in spite of it.”
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Kennedy then accused the medical industry and media outlets of paying influencers to “vilify” Means, adding, “But it will not work.”
“Every day, I wake up emboldened to drive change because I know the support of MAHA moms has my back,” he wrote. “Casey has played an integral role in galvanizing these moms. She will be the best Surgeon General in American history.”
