Trump's surgeon general pick goes into labour before confirmation hearing

October 30, 2025

President Trump's nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, had her Senate confirmation hearing postponed due to childbirth. The 38-year-old Stanford Medical School graduate lacks an active medical license and did not complete her surgical residency, instead leaving conventional medicine to pursue wellness entrepreneurship. She has built her career around the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, promoting natural health approaches while expressing skepticism about vaccines, pharmaceutical treatments, and hormonal birth control through her book and wellness company.

Who is affected

Dr. Casey Means (nominee whose hearing was postponed)
Senate committee members (scheduled to conduct the confirmation hearing)
More than 6,000 US Public Health Service personnel (who would be led by Dr. Means if confirmed)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (to whom she would report)
Dr. Jerome Adams (former surgeon general who publicly criticized the nomination)
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat (previous nominee who was withdrawn)
American public (who would be affected by her health advisories)

What action is being taken

Dr. Means signed an ethics agreement last month committing to resign from her advisory position at Levels and stop posting monetized social media posts
The Senate confirmation hearing process is underway (though postponed)

Why it matters

This nomination is significant because the surgeon general serves as the nation's top doctor, leading over 6,000 public health personnel and issuing national health advisories that affect all Americans. The controversy matters because Dr. Means represents a departure from traditional medical leadership—lacking an active medical license and completed residency while promoting skepticism toward conventional medicine, vaccines, and pharmaceutical treatments. Her appointment could signal a major shift in federal health policy direction, particularly given her alignment with the "Make America Healthy Again" movement and her reporting relationship to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raising concerns about the credibility and approach of America's public health leadership.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC