US President Donald Trump has tapped Dr Casey Means, a physician-turned-wellness influencer with close ties to health department chief Robert F Kennedy Jr, as his nominee for the influential health post of US surgeon general.
Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that Means has "impeccable 'MAHA' credentials" – referring to the "Make America Healthy Again" slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans.
The US surgeon general, considered the nation’s doctor, oversees 6,000 public health workers and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats, but does not set policy.
What do we know about Calley Means?
Means and her brother, former lobbyist Calley Means, served as key advisers to Kennedy’s longshot 2024 presidential bid and helped broker his endorsement of Trump last summer.
Casey Means trained as a doctor but has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency programme, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine.
She founded a health tech company, Levels, that helps users track blood sugar and other metrics. She also makes money from dietary supplements, creams, teas, and other products sponsored on her social media accounts.
What are your stances on health policy?
Means has built an online following by criticising the medical establishment and promoting natural foods and lifestyle changes to reverse obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
She has also linked changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions, including infertility, Alzheimer’s, depression, and erectile dysfunction.
Means has mostly steered clear of Kennedy’s controversial and debunked views on vaccines.
But on her website, she has called for more investigation into their safety and recommends making it easier for patients to sue drugmakers in the event of vaccine injuries.
If confirmed as surgeon general, Means would be tasked with helping promote Kennedy’s sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing thousands of additives and chemicals from US foods, rooting out conflicts of interest at federal agencies, and incentivising healthier foods in school lunches and other nutrition programmes.
