President Trump told reporters Thursday that he based his new pick for U.S. Surgeon General on the recommendation of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump was asked why he chose Casey Means, a doctor with close ties to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, as his new pick to fill the role.
“Because Bobby thought she’s fantastic,” Trump said. “She’s a brilliant woman who went through Stanford. As I understand it, she basically wanted to be an academic as opposed to a surgeon.”
“Bobby really thought she was great. I don’t know her. I listened to the recommendation of Bobby,” Trump added. “I met her yesterday and once before. She’s a very outstanding person. A great academic, actually. So I think she’ll be great.”
Trump announced Wednesday that he was withdrawing his first Surgeon General nominee, Janette Nesheiwat, and replacing her with Means. Nesheiwat is expected to serve in another role at HHS.
Casey Means, a graduate of Stanford Medical School, is the sister of Calley Means, a close Kennedy ally and a special government employee at HHS.
Casey Means is the co-founder of Levels, a health technology company that focuses on tracking health information through devices like continuous glucose monitors.
Both Casey and Calley are both high-profile proponents of Kennedy’s MAHA agenda, which focuses on addressing chronic diseases and healthier living.
Kennedy has come under scrutiny for his rhetoric about vaccines, and HHS has been hit hard by staffing and funding cuts.
