Criticism Mounts Against Dr. Casey Means, Trump's Nominee for Surgeon General, From Various Quarters
HOST: AYESHA RASCOE
It's all about the new U.S. Surgeon General pick, folks! This time around, it's none other than wellness guru, Dr. Casey Means. Initially, President Trump had his eyes set on Fox News contributor, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. However, Nesheiwat faced a storm of controversy, with allegations of misrepresenting her educational background and backlash from the political right, particularly from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.
NPR's Will Stone joins us to dish the details. Hey there, Will!
WILL STONE: Yo!
RASCOE: So, what's the lowdown on that first pick, Dr. Nesheiwat?
STONE: Well, ol' Trump dropped her like a hot potato, and no official clues from the White House on why. Seems like a couple of factors could've played a role here. First off, Nesheiwat had been under scrutiny over her medical education credentials. The expose' came courtesy of independent reporter Anthony Clark, coincidentally backed up by other outlets, though NPR didn't do a personal confirmation. And at the same time, Nesheiwat also faced resistance from the right-wing and, you guessed it – MAHA supporters. Their beef? She backed COVID policies like masking up and vaccines. Trump took to Twitter and announced Dr. Casey Means as his new choice, boasting her credentials as fitting MAHA's vision.
RASCOE: Alright, give us the lowdown on Casey Means. Who is this gal?
STONE: She's a wellness influencer, author, and entrepreneur. She's the brains behind a business that peddles glucose monitoring devices to the masses. She graduated from Stanford Medical School but bailed on her surgical residency. Her book's all about diet self-help, and it skyrocketed her fame in the online wellness world. She's appeared on big podcasts and held court at a highly publicized congressional roundtable discussing nutrition last year, graced by MAHA heavies. But her medical background is a red flag for many in the medical and public health community. She practiced medicine in Oregon, but she never completed her residency, and her medical license ain't active. I gave Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General under George W. Bush, a buzz to get his two cents.
RICHARD CARMONA: Every previous surgeon general carries a license, has a residency, and boasts powerhouse leadership experience that's scalable. We ain't seeing a lick of that here. I reckon our nation's entitled to something better.
RASCOE: How 'bout that? So, what's the word from her supporters?
STONE: Secretary Kennedy's all-in for Dr. Means. He's spun her as the greatest Surgeon General in American history a few times. It's worth noting her brother, Calley Means, is a Kennedy advisor. Means peddles a similar message to Kennedy: attacking Big Pharma, food, and healthcare, while championing nutrition and lifestyle changes. Kennedy went on Fox News and gushed about the pick.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ROBERT F KENNEDY JR: Casey Means, we figured, was the best person to bring MAHA's vision to the American public. She's got this magical knack for articulating it.
STONE: Dr. Means has expressed skepticism about certain vaccines and the vaccine schedule. She's also promoted raw milk, much like Kennedy. This concerns experts in public health. But not everyone in the Kennedy coalition is happy with the pick – Kennedy's ex-running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has spoken out heavily against the choice, pointing fingers at Means' vaccine stance. So this selection exposes some fractures within the MAHA coalition, and, alongside worries over her lack of experience, could sink her nomination. Who knows what'll happen, y'all!
RASCOE: Thanks a million, Will! That's NPR's Will Stone. Keep tuning in for more!
[Transcript courtesy of NPR – a rush job from an NPR contractor. This content may be edited for clarity or length in the future.]
Enrichment Data:- Dr. Janette Nesheiwat's nomination faced issues over alleged academic credentials misrepresentation and opposition from conservative groups, particularly MAHA supporters critical of her support for COVID policies like masks and vaccines.- Dr. Casey Means is a wellness influencer who lacks a completed surgical residency and an active medical license. Despite this, she has been nominated as the new Surgeon General due to her association with MAHA and the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.- Some within the MAHA coalition have criticized Dr. Means' nomination due to her perceived insufficient anti-vaccination stance, particularly regarding the COVID vaccines.
[1] https://www.vice.com/en/article/gk57b3/janette-nesheiwat-heres-what-we-found-when-we-called-every-school-named-in-her-cv[2] https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/14/secretary-says-president-suggested-janette-nesheiwat-as-surgeon-general-481512[3] https://www.tucson.com/story/news/2021/07/30/dr-janette-nesheiwat- backing-out-of-surgeon-general-bid-after-criticism-of-medical-career/5409966402/[4] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/trump-surgeon-general-pick-doctor-janette-nesheiwat-misinfo
- Nesheiwat's nomination as U.S. Surgeon General was dismissed amid allegations of academic credentials misrepresentation and pushback from conservative groups like MAHA, who opposed her support for COVID policies such as masks and vaccines.
- Means, the new Surgeon General nominee, is a wellness influencer with no completed surgical residency and an inactive medical license, but has gained support from MAHA due to her association with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and her similar anti-Big Pharma stance.
- Criticism within the MAHA coalition has arisen over Dr. Means’ nomination due to her perceived insufficient anti-vaccination stance, particularly regarding the COVID vaccines, which has raised concerns among public health experts.
- The ensuing debate within MAHA over Means' nomination, along with questions about her lack of traditional medical experience, could potentially derail her confirmation process.
