President Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and key ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the new U.S. Surgeon General, replacing Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
Who is Dr. Means? She’s a Stanford-educated physician who co-founded the health tech company Levels and co-authored the book Good Energy with her brother, Calley Means, who is a White House adviser.
- Dr. Means and her brother have been vocal advocates for Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) movement.
What Trump is saying: The President announced the move on Truth Social, writing:
- “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.”
What happened to Dr. Nesheiwat? Her nomination has faced intense scrutiny from Trump supporters due to her past support for masking and vaccinating children during the COVID pandemic
Zoom out: Notably, Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of recently-ousted National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Big picture: Dr. Casey Means’s nomination signals that President Trump is bullish on the MAHA movement.