President Donald Trump’s nomination of MAHA mom Casey Means is in trouble.
Trump has nominated Casey Means, a 38-year-old Make America Healthy Again mom who dropped out of her surgical residency and has never held a full medical license, to serve as Surgeon General.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images, Means needs the backing of every single Republican in order for the nomination to advance out of committee.
So far, though, she doesn’t have the GOP committee members’ full backing, leaving no clear path to confirmation, theThe committee members grilled Means in late February during an at times contentious confirmation hearing that covered her views on vaccines, her relative lack of clinical experience, and potential conflicts of interest from her influencer work. Several Republicans sounded skeptical during the hearing, during which Means refused to commit to recommending that parents vaccine their children against measles and the flu, and said the science wasn’t “settled” on whether vaccines cause autism. More than a dozen rigorous, large-scale studies have found there is no link between vaccines and autism, according toAfter the hearing, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine told reporters they had still had questions. Nearly a month later, Murkowski told reporters Tuesday she was still “in the same spot” when it came to those hesitations,Collins and committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have also refused to publicly back Means’ nomination.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Asked by the Wall Street Journal whether Means had the votes to clear his committee, Cassidy said, “I just have nothing to say on that right now.” The White House hasn’t officially dropped the nomination, though, because Kennedy and other MAHA members are still advocating for her, sources told the Journal. A White House official said the administration still thinks the skeptical Republicans can be convinced to back Means. White House Spokesperson Kush Dusai told the Journal that Means would be a “key asset” for Trump’s MAHA agenda, and that the White House was “engaging and continues to robustly engage with the Senate to advance her nomination.”Heather Diehl/Heather Diehl/Getty Images Kennedy spokesperson Andrew Nixon said Means has “given voice to MAHA moms and has communicated a vital public health message that people voted for.”Means earned her M.D. from Stanford Medicine in 2014 but has never been qualified to independently practice medicine. After graduation, she enrolled in a residency program at Oregon Health and Science University with the goal of becoming an ear, nose, and throat surgeon. She never completed the program, though, and later said it was because she had become disillusioned with the American medical system.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
RFK Jr. Touts Strict Rule to Keep Kids From Getting ‘Microwaved’The health secretary can’t stop making bonkers claims.
Read more »
Health Secretary RFK Jr., 72, Spotted With Ailment After SurgeryThe vaccine skeptic underwent surgery on March 10.
Read more »
‘Fox & Friends’ Host Rips RFK Jr.’s ‘Disgusting’ HabitKennedy has explained why he always wears jeans when he works out.
Read more »
RFK Jr. highlights rampant LA hospice fraud 'run by Russian mobsters'Today's Video Headlines: 03/25/26
Read more »
CDC Director Reveals RFK Jr. Disagreements in Private MeetingThe health secretary’s anti-vax views mean the public health agency is still without a permanent chief.
Read more »
A dietitian and doctor review RFK Jr's new food pyramidThe new food pyramid was released earlier this year. It emphasizes protein, full-fat dairy and what Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls “healthy fats.” These guidelines influence the standards for school lunches, food labeling and programs like SNAP.
Read more »