Casey Means' Hearing Postponed: Trump's Surgeon General Nominee Goes Into Labor Amid Controversy

Trump Surgeon General Pick Casey Means Goes Into Labor, Delays Confirmation Hearing

WASHINGTON – Dr. Casey Means, President Donald Trump's controversial nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, has postponed her Senate confirmation hearing after she went into labor with her first child, a spokesperson confirmed.²

Dr. Means, 38, was scheduled to appear virtually before the Senate committee due to her advanced pregnancy.³ A new date for the hearing has not yet been announced.

The nomination of Means, a Stanford-trained doctor and wellness entrepreneur, has drawn significant attention and criticism.⁴ If confirmed, she would become the "nation's top doctor," responsible for issuing national health advisories and leading the 6,000-person U.S. Public Health Service.⁵

Who is Dr. Casey Means? A Background in Wellness, Not Clinical Practice

Unlike previous surgeon generals, Dr. Casey Means does not currently hold an active medical license.⁶

According to reports, she graduated from Stanford Medical School and began a residency in head and neck surgery but quit before completing the training.⁷

"I walked out of the hospital and embarked on a journey to understand the real reasons why people get sick," Means wrote in her book, "Good Energy."

Following her departure from conventional medicine, Dr. Means co-founded Levels, a metabolic health company that helps users monitor their blood glucose.⁸ She also built a significant social media presence as a wellness influencer, promoting dietary supplements and teas.⁹

She is a prominent figure in the "Make America Healthy Again (Maha)" movement, which is highly skeptical of pharmaceutical and food companies.¹⁰ Her book, "Good Energy," champions natural foods, exercise, and lifestyle changes over conventional medical treatments for chronic disease.¹¹

Why is Casey Means' Nomination Controversial?

The nomination has faced sharp bipartisan criticism due to Dr. Means' lack of credentials and her public skepticism of established medical practices.

Key points of controversy include:

Medical License: Critics point to her lack of a medical license and incomplete residency training as disqualifying for the nation's top public health official.¹²
Vaccine Skepticism: Dr. Means has previously questioned aspects of the childhood vaccination schedule.¹³
Views on Medicine: She has advised against using pharmaceutical prescriptions for many chronic illnesses and cautioned against the long-term use of hormonal birth control.¹⁴

In an ethics agreement signed last month, Means agreed to resign from her advisory role at Levels and cease her monetised social media posts if confirmed.

Former Trump Surgeon General Among Critics

The criticism of Dr. Means has come from both sides of the aisle, including from Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general during President Trump's first term.

Dr. Adams expressed concern over his potential successor's lack of a medical license and completed training.

"We must acknowledge that our current healthcare system is broken and drastic change is needed," Dr. Adams wrote on social media. "Yet no one would go to an unlicensed and incompletely trained doctor for a surgery or a C-section."

If confirmed, Dr. Means would report to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her nomination follows the withdrawal of Trump's previous pick for the role, Fox News host Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.¹⁵