Trump Nominates Radiologist Saphier After Means Withdraws
Trump nominates radiologist Saphier as Surgeon General after previous nominee Means withdraws.
Event / Politics
US Surgeon General Nomination
President Trump withdrew Casey Means' stalled Surgeon General nomination and nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor, instead. Means faced bipartisan Senate opposition over vaccine stance and health policy concerns.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 1 May, 00:07 UTC
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What happened
Trump criticizes Senator Cassidy over Surgeon General confirmation process
President Trump criticized Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on social media, describing him as 'a very disloyal person' for his role in questioning Casey Means during her Surgeon General confirmation hearing. Trump accused Cassidy of standing in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nominee for the position. Cassidy faces a tough primary election.
Trump nominates radiologist Nicole Saphier as Surgeon General
President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor, as his pick for U.S. Surgeon General. Saphier is the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's facility in Monmouth, New Jersey, and has a career focused on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Casey Means withdraws as Surgeon General nominee
Casey Means, Trump's previous nominee for Surgeon General and an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., withdrew her nomination after facing bipartisan Senate opposition. Her confirmation hearing in late February raised concerns from both Democratic and Republican senators about her vaccine stance and other health policy positions. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana had interrogated her on vaccines during the hearing.
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