Story perspectives

Trump Withdraws Means, Nominates Fox's Saphier as Surgeon General

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means’ nomination and officially nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier as U.S. surgeon general.
Saphier, a former Fox News contributor and breast-cancer radiologist, is director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center-Monmouth and wrote a book criticizing the U.S. COVID-19 response.
Senators Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski raised concerns about Means’ vaccine stance and inactive license, stalling her confirmation and leading to the replacement.

History

Historical Context

Since the 1970 shift from career uniformed officers to civilian appointees, the U.S. Surgeon General—nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate—has often become a political flashpoint. President Bill Clinton dismissed Joycelyn Elders in December 1994 after her AIDS remarks, and in 2020 Donald Trump replaced Dr. Casey Means with former Fox analyst Dr. Nicole Saphier, highlighting the office’s four-year term vulnerability to partisan scrutiny.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means’ nomination and officially nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier as U.S. surgeon general.
Saphier, a former Fox News contributor and breast-cancer radiologist, is director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center-Monmouth and wrote a book criticizing the U.S. COVID-19 response.
Senators Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski raised concerns about Means’ vaccine stance and inactive license, stalling her confirmation and leading to the replacement.

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