US President Donald Trump nominated author, influencer and health entrepreneur Casey Means as the country’s surgeon general on Wednesday, jettisoning his first choice for the role.
Dr Means is a supporter of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his “Make America Healthy Again” (Maha) agenda, which views pharmaceutical and food companies as corrupt and responsible for a rise in chronic disease.
The US Surgeon General is considered the leading authority on matters of public health and is considered the “nation’s doctor.”
Dr Means replaces Trump’s earlier nominee, Janette Nesheiwat, a doctor and former Fox News contributor, who faced criticism from one of Trump’s far-right advisers and questions about her credentials.
In announcing his decision, Trump posted online that Dr Means “has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” and will “reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic”.
The president said Dr Nesheiwat would work in another unspecified position in the health department.
Dr Means, 37, received a medical degree from Stanford University but later dropped out of a medical residency programme. She co-founded Levels, a glucose monitoring company, and according to her website, held research positions at the National Institutes of Health and several universities.
In 2024, she co-wrote a book with her brother Calley Means called Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health.
The book drew attention from a range of conservative podcasters including Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson.
On Mr Carlson’ s podcast, she said chronic illnesses are “driven by our toxic food system and our toxic environment.
“These subtle insidious forces which are creating slow progressive illness… allow patients to be profitable and on the pharma treadmill for their entire lives,” she said. “They make us sick but they don’t kill us, but we are drugged for life.”
The siblings are strong supporters of Secretary Kennedy, and in a celebratory post after his swearing in, Dr Means said RFK Jr “has a vision for the future that aligns with what I want for my family, future children, and the world.”
A confirmation hearing for Dr Nesheiwat’s nomination was scheduled for Thursday, but last month a report surfaced that she misrepresented her medical degree.
CBS News, citing journalist Anthony Clark, reported that Dr Nesheiwat said she had a degree from University of Arkansas school of medicine, but she actually obtained it at American University of the Caribbean on the Dutch island of St Maarten. The University of Arkansas confirmed to CBS that she completed her residency there, but was not issued a degree from the school.
In recent days, she also came under attack online from Laura Loomer, a far-right ally of President Trump. Ms Loomer said Dr Nesheiwat was not suitable for the job, citing the controversy over her credentials and her “pro-Covid vaccine” stance, among other things.
The surgeon general during Trump’s first term was Jerome Adams, an anaesthetist who previously served as Indiana’s state health commissioner.
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