On May 7, 2025, President Trump withdrew the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat to be the next Surgeon General just days before her scheduled Senate confirmation hearing. The Surgeon General is simultaneously head of the U.S. Public Health Service and a figurehead for communicating the federal government’s health priorities. Nesheiwat came under fire from Trump influencers like Laura Loomer who criticized her for having previously supported COVID-19 vaccines, as well as some inconsistencies in her credentials.

In her place, Trump tapped Dr. Casey Means. Means is a holistic medicine advocate who has risen to prominence in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement headed by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. She has long been critical of the current health industry, claiming it has a financial incentive to keep people sick. She believes diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices are the primary means to one’s health.

Since her nomination, many traditional health experts have criticized Means for having not completed her medical residency and not being a practicing physician. Meanwhile, Loomer, who was instrumental in Nesheiwat’s withdrawn nomination, is also unhappy with Means, claiming she “talks to trees.” The major outcry leads one to wonder if Means will get confirmed or not.