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RFK Jr. on damage control over surgeon general nominee

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The Big Story

Kennedy on damage control over surgeon general nominee

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sat down for a Fox News interview Thursday to try to quell the tide of opposition that arose from MAGA figures after President Trump chose a health technology entrepreneur as his second pick for Surgeon General.

© AP

President Trump chose Casey Means, a Kennedy ally and prominent nutrition advocate in the Make America Healthy Again movement as his nominee for the post.

Trump had initially picked Janette Nesheiwat, a physician and former Fox News contributor. He withdrew her nomination amid backlash over her credentials and pro-vaccine stance.

Here are three takeaways from the interview:

Kennedy says he’s not being controlled

Kennedy’s former running mate Nicole Shanahan questioned if someone was “controlling” the secretary after Means’ nomination was announced, writing on X that she had been promised neither Means or her brother Calley Means would be involved at HHS if she supported Kennedy’s Senate confirmation.

Kennedy addressed this accusation, telling Baier, “The entire leadership of this agency are renegades who are, you know, who are juggernauts against convention and who are trying to look for truth, no matter what the cost. Casey is among those.”

Means’ credentials

Means received a medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and completed four and half years out of a five-year residency program at the Oregon Science and Health University before dropping out.

Baier pressed Kennedy during the interview about Means’ credentials, which have recently come under fire. Kennedy told Baier that Means left the residency program early because she “couldn’t cure patients.” Her decision to drop out of residency, he said, makes her a better pick for surgeon general than Nesheiwat and "[w]e actually have to figure out new approaches to medicine."

Nesheiwat will still work for HHS

When Trump abruptly withdrew Nesheiwat’s nomination, he stated in a post to Truth Social that she would continue at HHS in another capacity, a claim Kennedy reiterated during the interview. The nature of her role is unclear.

A spokesperson for HHS has yet to respond to questions from The Hill about Nesheiwat’s future in the department.

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

 

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