President Donald Trump has a new pick for Surgeon General — his third attempt to fill the role. On Thursday, he nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor, calling her a “STAR physician” in a Truth Social post.
Saphier currently serves as director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She also hosts the “Wellness Unmasked” podcast, which promises “unfiltered conversations” about wellness and evidence-based healthy living.
She’s been a vocal supporter of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement — she even published a book with that title in 2020, covering cancer, the opioid crisis, and healthcare costs. In it, she criticized the government’s COVID-19 response and the Affordable Care Act, arguing that personal responsibility must be central to health policy. But she’s also occasionally criticized aspects of the MAHA movement and public health messaging under the Trump administration, giving her a more nuanced stance on health policy debates.
Saphier replaces Dr. Casey Means, whose nomination collapsed earlier this year. Means initially refused to directly recommend the measles vaccine during a Senate hearing, before reversing course in written remarks. She was ultimately blocked by Republicans Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), alongside Senate Democrats. Trump publicly called Cassidy “a very disloyal person” and has since endorsed a primary challenger against him.
This is Trump’s third attempt to fill the Surgeon General post. His first two nominees failed to win Senate confirmation, and the role has been in flux for months. Separately, the CDC has operated without a permanent director since August, following the ouster of Susan Monarez. The Trump administration is reportedly eyeing Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, as its next permanent CDC director.
Saphier’s nomination will now be reviewed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It’s unclear whether she’ll face the same hurdles as her predecessors, but her mix of clinical experience, media presence, and policy critiques could make for a lively confirmation process.
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