OAN Staff Lillian Mann
2:33 PM – Thursday, April 30, 2026
President Donald Trump shifted gears on Thursday, announcing radiologist and Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier as his pick for Surgeon General.
While Dr. Casey Means was initially the intended choice and a prominent “MAHA” advocate, her path to a formal nomination reportedly stalled, leading President Trump to tap Saphier for the post instead.
President Trump also took aim at Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for the impasse regarding Dr. Casey Means, whose path to confirmation had remained stalled since her February hearing. Beyond Cassidy, Means faced significant opposition from Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Given the narrow Republican majority in the Senate, Means required nearly unanimous party support, as Democrat members remained unified in their opposition.
The primary friction stemmed from concerns voiced by Cassidy and Murkowski regarding Means’ stance on measles and hepatitis B vaccinations. While Means maintained that the vaccines were safe and effective, she reportedly stopped short of providing the unequivocal endorsement the senators sought.
In a series of Truth Social posts announcing the transition to Dr. Nicole Saphier, Trump disparaged Cassidy — who is facing a challenging primary — as a “very disloyal person” and accused him of standing in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s preferred choice for the role.
Means was formally nominated for Surgeon General last year, leading to a confirmation hearing several months ago before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, currently chaired by Senator Cassidy.
The nomination’s subsequent failure to move forward has sparked sharp criticism from the transition team, specifically from Calley Means, a senior White House adviser and brother to the nominee.
Calley Means, a close ally of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., joined the president in placing the blame for his sister’s stalled confirmation directly on Cassidy’s leadership of the committee.
“I am so proud of Casey, and the way she conducted herself during this process,” her brother wrote on social media. “I am also proud to work for the Trump admin, who has marshaled the disruptive MAHA message and driven victories against dark forces personified by Bill Cassidy. At every step, Casey’s message of hope and empowerment was thwarted by Bill Cassidy,” he added.
Despite the switch of nomination, Trump praised Means’ loyalty and dedication to her country, emphasizing his confidence that she will continue to “fight for MAHA.”
“Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important Health issues facing our Country, such as the rising childhood disease epidemic, increased autism rates, poor nutrition, over-medicalization, and researching the root causes of infertility, and many other difficult medical problems. Casey, thank you for your service to our Nation!” Trump wrote.
Calley argued that Cassidy employed “constant delay tactics” to sabotage the nomination, including the strategic scheduling of the initial confirmation hearing to coincide with his sister’s due date.
According to Means, these maneuvers were a calculated effort to undermine the process and were ultimately responsible for the collapse of her candidacy for surgeon general.
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