Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Casey Means Faces Scrutiny Over Science Views and RFK Jr. Ties

 

Trump’s Surgeon General Nominee Casey Means Faces Questions Over Her MAHA Ties and Science Stance

President Donald Trump’s new surgeon general nominee, Dr. Casey Means, has become a lightning rod in Washington — praised by supporters of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement and criticized by mainstream medical voices who question her scientific views and experience.

Means, a Stanford-educated physician and author of the best-selling book Good Energy, is deeply connected to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health reform agenda. She’s known for her holistic approach to wellness, focus on nutrition and chronic disease prevention, and skepticism toward parts of the medical establishment.

If confirmed, she would play a major role in shaping how the administration communicates its health priorities — including MAHA’s mission to improve food systems, fight chronic illness, and restore “trust” in health messaging.

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🧬 A Doctor with Star Power — and Critics

Dr. Means, 38, has built a loyal following through her wellness advocacy, podcasts, and online health newsletter. Her book, co-written with her brother Calley Means, became a favorite among wellness influencers and even Trump insiders, including Stephen and Katie Miller.

“It was becoming a new mom that radicalized me in the health space,” Katie Miller told CNN, crediting Good Energy as her “food Bible.”

Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles also reportedly follows Means’ work — proof of her growing influence inside the administration.

However, Means’ nomination has sparked alarm from public health experts. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called her “monumentally unqualified,” citing her lack of public health experience and controversial past comments questioning vaccines and birth control.

“She’s a symbolic figure,” Lurie said. “The concern is what she’ll do with that influence.”

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🧘‍♀️ The Rise of “Make America Healthy Again”

The MAHA movement, championed by Kennedy and Trump, emphasizes individual responsibility for health, natural living, and skepticism toward pharmaceutical influence.

When Trump announced Means’ nomination in May — after withdrawing an earlier pick — he said simply:

“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic.”

Means’ background fits the MAHA brand perfectly. After attending Stanford Medical School, she left a surgical residency to pursue functional medicine, arguing the system “treats symptoms, not causes.”

Her 2024 interviews with Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Kristin Cavallari, and Megyn Kelly racked up millions of views, spreading her message of “metabolic health empowerment.”

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⚠️ Controversy and Conflict

Means’ critics — including Trump ally Laura Loomer — question her loyalty to Trump and her qualifications for the nation’s top doctor role. Loomer even drew backlash after suggesting Means’ pregnancy disqualified her for the job.

Others within the GOP have voiced concerns about her financial ties. Means co-founded Levels, a health tech company that connects glucose monitors to smartphones. While she says she’s divested and resigned from her position, skeptics fear conflicts of interest — especially after Kennedy’s department proposed a national wearable health tracker initiative.

Her financial disclosures also showed family investments in Altria Group, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, which she has since promised to divest.

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🏛️ Facing Senate Scrutiny

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has yet to hold confirmation hearings due to the government shutdown, but Means has already met privately with lawmakers.

She’ll need to navigate a delicate balance — assuring senators that she’s not anti-vaccine while maintaining credibility with MAHA supporters who expect her to challenge federal health institutions.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, the HELP Committee chair, has voiced concern about growing vaccine skepticism. The committee is still recovering from the sudden firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, reportedly over vaccine policy disputes with Kennedy.

Means has echoed Kennedy’s call to end liability protections for vaccine manufacturers but says vaccines are “not her area of expertise.” She has also discussed women’s health, food reform, and pesticide risks, arguing that “the things that give life — women and soil — are being dominated and damaged.”

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🌿 What’s Next for Casey Means

If confirmed, Dr. Means could have enormous influence over national health messaging, from nutrition and fitness to vaccine confidence and chronic disease prevention.

Supporters like her brother Calley Means believe she’s the right fit for this cultural moment:

“She’s going to be talking about people taking control of their own health in the midst of challenges from the system,” he said.

Whether she can unite a divided health community — or deepen the split between science and skepticism — remains to be seen.