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WASHINGTON — President Trump yanked his nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat to be the next US surgeon general, opting instead to elevate someone with “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials.” — one day before the nominee was scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings.
“I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America,” Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday, bumping Nesheiwat to a separate –and unidentified — role at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Casey has impeccable ‘[Make America Healthy Again]’ 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,” the president said.
“Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding,” he went on. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History. Congratulations to Casey!”
Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of Mike Waltz, who was relieved of duty as national security adviser last week, only to be nominated as the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
Sources close to the White House said that Trump had been facing “massive backlash from the base” for nominating the CityMD medical director — with “all the MAHA people, all the anti-COVID [vaccine] people, all the frontline doctors opposed [to] her from the start.”
“A poor showing on Fox News” didn’t help either, one source said, after Nesheiwat had urged Americans in op-eds written for the outlet’s website to adopt strict COVID mitigations measures such as “wearing two masks.”
“Everyone hated her,” one source said of Nesheiwat, adding that “Casey Means being so close to RFK means no one can oppose [her].”
“She’s Waltz’s sister in law so [I] feel that that ultimately didn’t help,” pointed out another source in reference to the ousted nominee. “And Casey is very MAHA and has a high level of credibility.”
A source also noted that Trump’s move underscores his “deference” to Kennedy in staffing HHS by potentially uniting Casey Means with her brother Calley, who is already serving as a special government employee in the department.
Calley Means, a former political lobbyist-turned-health advocate, co-authored the 2024 book “Good Energy” with his sister, which received rave reviews from MAHA acolytes as well as media figures including Tucker Carlson.
Calley Means has also revealed in an interview with Carlson that he was instrumental in connecting Kennedy and Trump following the 45th and 47th president’s survival of an assassination attempt on the campaign trail in Butler, Pa., last July.
Donald Trump Jr. responded to the news on X, saying that Casey Means as an “excellent pick” and “huge for MAHA!!!”
The president had previously praised Nesheiwat, declaring he was “a big fan” in a video message he sent on her birthday in August 2023.
“You do a fantastic job letting us know what’s happening with health,” he said in the video, which was shared by Julia Nesheiwat — Janette’s sister and Waltz’s wife — on X.
Trump had also cheered her COVID efforts “on the front lines in New York City treating thousands of Americans” in his nomination announcement, as well as her work that “helped patients in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s Historic Operation Warp Speed that saved hundreds of millions of lives.”
Janette Nesheiwat had been scheduled to come before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday to begin the confirmation process.
