Trump told reporters on Thursday that he followed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advice for the position of U.S. surgeon general, adding that he is unaware of his choice.
This week, Trump replaced his first nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, with Dr. Casey Means. When she was nominated, the president praised her “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials.”
On Thursday, when questioned about Means and his decision to choose her for the position, the president cited Kennedy’s recommendation.
“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic, brilliant woman who went through Stanford — wanted to be academic instead of physician,” stated the chief executive.
“I didn’t know her; I just listened to Bobby,” Trump said. “I think she’ll be great.”
The health agenda of the Obama administration was greatly influenced by Means and her brother, Calley, who were both strong advocates of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
Along with her brother, she has become well-known as a wellness advocate. “Good Energy,” a book on the chronic disease crisis that Casey and Calley co-wrote in 2024, was co-founded by Casey and Calley.
The government had earlier appointed Calley Means to the position of senior special advisor to John F. Kennedy.
The reason for the withdrawal of Nesheiwat’s nomination remains unknown. The White House was contacted by AWN Digital for further information, but they did not respond right away.
In a subsequent post on X, Nesheiwat expressed her excitement about “looking forward” to her continued support of Trump and her close collaboration with Kennedy “in a senior policy role.”
“My mission hasn’t changed, and my focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans,” Nesheiwat stated in her public social media statements.
Following the president’s decision to withdraw his first choice, New York GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, for the position of ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz—who was recently sacked as national security advisor—is the president’s sister-in-law, according to Nesheiwat.