President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested he could withdraw his nomination of Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general, as doubts remain about whether she can secure enough Republican support for confirmation.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump indicated the situation remains under review.
"We're looking at a lot of different things," Trump said, according to The Hill. "I don't know how she's doing in the nomination process. I'm more focused on Iran.
"But, you know, something like that would be possible. We certainly have a lot of … great candidates."
Casey Means, the sister of White House senior adviser Calley Means, was nominated by Trump after his original choice, former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat, was sidelined following questions about her credentials.
Casey Means' nomination has faced hurdles from the outset. A scheduled confirmation hearing in 2025 was postponed after she went into labor, delaying consideration of her nomination.
When she eventually appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in February, some Republican senators expressed reservations.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have not yet publicly backed her, leaving uncertainty about her path forward. Democrats on the committee, meanwhile, appear firmly opposed.
Collins has questioned her admission that she has used psilocybin mushrooms.
During her testimony, Casey Means acknowledged that vaccines save lives. However, she stopped short of fully endorsing certain federal vaccine recommendations, including those related to measles, drawing additional scrutiny.
She has also faced pushback from some voices within the broader Make America Healthy Again movement.
Nicole Shanahan, who was Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, has been outspoken on social media in opposing Casey Means and her brother.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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