Overview

• President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means, a Stanford-educated wellness advocate and author, as Surgeon General, replacing his initial pick who resigned earlier this month.
• Means is closely aligned with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which emphasizes lifestyle and holistic health approaches over traditional medical practices.
• Senate hearings have highlighted concerns about Means’s inactive medical license, lack of government experience, and promotion of controversial health practices, including raw milk and vaccine skepticism.
• Critics have noted Means’s and RFK Jr.’s reported alliances with the Christian Right, raising questions about the political and ideological dimensions of her nomination.
• The appointment of Means’s brother, Calley Means, to a special advisory role under RFK Jr. adds another layer of scrutiny to the nomination process.