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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating Dr. Nicole Saphier to serve as U.S. surgeon general after withdrawing the stalled nomination of Casey Means. The move places a prominent physician and media figure at the center of the administration’s public health agenda.
“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 in a post on Truth Social.
Trump praised Saphier’s medical background and her work in cancer treatment and prevention. He highlighted her role guiding patients through diagnoses and promoting early detection.
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“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,” Trump said.
He also pointed to her ability to communicate complex medical issues to the public.
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“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,” Trump said.
Saphier is a radiologist who has served as director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey. She is also a regular contributor on Fox News and Fox Business, where she has commented on a range of public health issues.
Her nomination follows the withdrawal of Casey Means, whose confirmation effort faced months of resistance in the Senate. Means, a wellness entrepreneur aligned with the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, had drawn scrutiny over her medical background and positions on vaccines.
Trump placed blame on Sen. Bill Cassidy for the failed nomination. Cassidy, a physician and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, had raised concerns during the confirmation process.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Apr 30 2026, 12:43 PM ET )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. Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding… pic.twitter.com/QYjklD701H
— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) April 30, 2026
“Hopefully all of the Great Republican People of Louisiana… will be voting Bill Cassidy OUT OF OFFICE in the upcoming Republican Primary!” Trump wrote in a separate post.
🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL: President Trump demands Louisiana voters PRIMARY OUT GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy
“Hopefully all of the Great Republican People of Louisiana, which I won, BIG, three times, will be voting Bill Cassidy OUT OF OFFICE in the upcoming Republican Primary! President DONALD… https://t.co/LgNmtx2b9N pic.twitter.com/LKTvEH0uFY
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 30, 2026
Cassidy has been a key Republican voice on health-related nominations and policy matters. His position on the committee gives him significant influence over whether nominees advance to a full Senate vote.
Saphier now enters the confirmation process as the administration seeks to fill one of the nation’s most visible public health roles. The surgeon general serves as the federal government’s leading spokesperson on public health and medical issues.
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump has nominated DR. NICOLE SAPHIER to be the next Surgeon General of the United States
Saphier has been a regular guest on Fox News for years now, and has been outspoken against COVID vax mandates for children.
“Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent… pic.twitter.com/oFgdAfPlgI
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 30, 2026
President Trump’s Surgeon General nominee, Casey Means, stands as one of the MAHA movement’s most powerful evangelists. Her book Good Energy, which exposed the nation’s catastrophic decline in metabolic health, has become a bible for the MAHA movement.
After graduating first in… https://t.co/5drWu0DW8c
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 30, 2026
Her nomination comes as the administration continues to emphasize its broader health policy agenda. Trump has framed the effort around prevention, communication, and reshaping public trust in health institutions.
If confirmed, Saphier would take on a high-profile position responsible for addressing national health challenges and advising the public on medical issues. The timeline for Senate consideration of her nomination has not yet been announced.
