Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a fiery statement in defense of Casey Means, who has been nominated for U.S. surgeon general, amid widespread backlash that has included at least two prominent MAGA figures.
“The absurd attacks on Casey Means reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered,” the health secretary began a lengthy statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for comment via email.
The Context
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means, a wellness advocate and social media influencer with close ties to Kennedy, for U.S. surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, from Senate consideration.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Means had “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials,” referencing the Make America Healthy Again movement. He added, “Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding.”
Means holds a medical degree from Stanford, but her Oregon medical license has been inactive since 2019, which has sparked criticism of her nomination.
What To Know
On Thursday, Kennedy condemned the “absurd attacks” on Means, writing on X: “Casey has excelled in every endeavor she has undertaken. She was President of her Stanford undergrad class, was a standout at Stanford Medical School, and was a top performer in surgical residency. She had the courage to leave traditional medicine because she realized her patients weren’t getting better.
“The attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA. Casey is the perfect choice for Surgeon General precisely because she left the traditional medical system—not in spite of it.”
Some of the negative reaction to Means’ nomination has come from members of the Make America Great Again movement—including Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s former presidential running mate, and media personality Laura Loomer.
On X, Shanahan spoke about Means and her brother, Calley Means, who was also recently appointed as a White House adviser on the MAHA campaign.
“Doesn’t make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),” she wrote.
Loomer wrote on X that Means “prays to inanimate objects, communicates with spirit mediums, uses shrooms as ‘plant medicine’ and talks to trees.”
In a separate post, she wrote, “We are a laughing stock for having a US Surgeon General who doesn’t even have an active medical license.”
What People Are Saying
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on X: “Casey articulates better than any American the North Star of a country where we have eliminated diabetes, heart disease, and obesity through prioritizing metabolic health. Casey will help me ensure American children will be less medicated and better fed—and significantly healthier—during the next four years. She will be the best Surgeon General in American history.”
President Donald Trump said at a news conference, when asked why he had nominated someone who “never finished her residency and is not a practicing physician”: “Because Bobby thought she was fantastic. She’s a brilliant woman who went through Stanford, and as I understand it, she basically wanted to be an academic as opposed to a surgeon. … I don’t know her. I listen to the recommendation of Bobby.”
What Happens Next
Means must be confirmed by the Senate before she can assume the role of U.S. surgeon general.
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