April 30, 2026, 5:03 p.m. UTC
President Trump’s new nominee is Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor.
Dr. Casey Means testifies during his Senate confirmation hearing before the Surgeon General in Washington, DC, on February 25.Tom Williams/CQ-Appel via Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump announced Thursday the nomination of a new candidate for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier, ending months of speculation on whether the Senate would confirm his previous pick, Dr. Casey Means.
Saphier is listed on the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center website as a radiologist and director of breast imaging at the center’s Monmouth, New Jersey, facility. She has regularly appeared as a medical expert on Fox News.
“Nicole is a STAR doctor who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment, while tirelessly advocating to increase early detection and prevention of cancer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, providing all Americans with a better understanding of complex health issues,” Trump continued.
Means, a close ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced a tough Senate confirmation hearing in February, when she fielded questions about her controversial positions on vaccines, birth control and pesticides — topics she had previously described as dangerous to human health.
Trump said Thursday on Truth Social that Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., blocked Means’ nomination.
“I nominated Casey, a mighty MAHA warrior, on the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA movement better than anyone except maybe ME!” Trump wrote, adding: “Casey, thank you for your service to our nation!”
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