Why 'pro-vaccine’ Janette Nesheiwat was replaced last minute as surgeon general nominee
Mike Waltz's sister-in-law Janette Nesheiwat was replaced by Casey Means as surgeon general nominee after Laura Loomer criticized her support for COVID vaccines
In a last-minute decision, the White House has replaced Dr. Janette Nesheiwat with physician and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means as the nominee for US Surgeon General.
Announcing the nomination on Truth Social, President Donald Trump wrote, “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS.”
Why was Janette Nesheiwat replaced?
The decision to withdraw Nesheiwat’s nomination came amid growing controversy, fueled in part by far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Just a day before her confirmation hearing, Loomer criticized Nesheiwat for her past support of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“In a screenshot below, Doctor Janette said, ‘Vaccine hesitancy is a global health threat.’ She used her access to Fox News to promote the dangerous Covid vaccine, which is now killing millions of people. She tried to shame people who didn’t take the vaccine by calling them global health threats,” Laura wrote on X.
“Vaccines are a matter of personal health freedom. “Vaccine hesitancy” is a matter of personal freedom and liberty! It is not a global health threat. My body, my choice!”
Nesheiwat previously served as a medical contributor for Fox News.
In a separate post, Loomer claimed that Nesheiwat is involved in an ongoing medical malpractice lawsuit stemming from a 2019 incident. According to Loomer, the case, which has reportedly been active since November 2021, accuses Nesheiwat of misdiagnosing a patient's condition, leading to inappropriate treatment.
“Nieshawat allegedly misdiagnosed the plaintiff’s condition as involving a foreign object under the fingernail, despite evidence suggesting it was more likely an infection. She failed to recognize the absence of clinical signs such as fluctuance, induration, abscess, or purulence, which are critical for distinguishing between an infection and a foreign body, leading to an inappropriate treatment plan,” Loomer claimed.
Loomer further claimed that Nesheiwat had misrepresented her academic background. CBS News had reported in April that Nesheiwat had claimed to have graduated from the University of Arkansas, though records show she actually attended a medical school in the Caribbean.
Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of former national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Donald Trump on Casey Means -
In his announcement, Trump praised Means as an exceptional candidate, writing, "I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America. Casey has impeccable “MAHA” credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans. Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding. Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History. Congratulations to Casey!”
Dr. Casey Means earned both her BA with honors and her MD from Stanford University, where she also served as class president and later joined the faculty. She completed her residency training in Head and Neck Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University.
Means is the co-founder of Levels, a health tech company focused on combating the global metabolic health crisis. She is also the author of the book Good Energy.
