Trump controversially claims he doesn’t know influencer Casey Means, despite recently calling her one of the finest Surgeon General nominees.
President Trump made a surprising statement about his Surgeon General nominee, raising many eyebrows.
The controversy arose from Trump’s praise for Casey Means, followed by his claim of not knowing her personally.
Influencer Casey Means nominated by Trump for Surgeon General
On May 7, Trump made a surprising announcement naming Casey Means, a wellness entrepreneur and influencer, as his choice for the United States’ next Surgeon General.
The president described Means as an exceptional individual with an outstanding record.
He claimed she could become one of the finest Surgeon Generals in U.S. history.
This announcement caught the public off guard, particularly when it was revealed that Means, despite her high-profile social media presence, is not a practicing physician.
Instead, she is known for her work in wellness, health, and education, with a background in business and academia.
Trump changes stance on influencer picked as Surgeon General nominee after praising her days earlier
Just one day after the glowing praise, Trump’s stance on Means seemed to take a sudden shift.
A reporter questioned Trump about Casey Means’ qualifications, specifically her lack of completed medical residency.
In response, Trump said he didn’t actually know her personally.
Trump explained that the recommendation to nominate Means came from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
According to the president, Kennedy thought highly of Means and described her as “brilliant” and someone with a strong academic background.
“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic, she’s a brilliant woman who went through Stanford and, as I understand it, she wanted to be an academic as opposed to a surgeon.
“I think she graduated first in her class at Stanford and Bobby really thought she was great, I don’t know her, I listened to the recommendation of Bobby.
“I met her yesterday and once before, she’s a very outstanding person and a great academic actually, so I think she’ll be great.”
He went on to state that he trusted the recommendation from Kennedy, acknowledging that he himself didn’t have much personal experience with Means.
Social media reactions
Trump’s comments quickly drew public backlash, especially from social media users questioning his choice of a nominee lacking medical experience.
Many people voiced concerns that someone without the proper clinical background might not be fit for the role of the nation’s top doctor.
One user said: So a man with no medical background, who failed the NY Bar exam but is leading HHS, recommends a person with an MD but no medical experience and who dropped out of residency, to be Surgeon General, and that’s good enough to nominated her…. makes perfect sense!
The second user wrote: So Trump throws “Bobby” under the bus when questioned as to Means, credentials!
The third user said: If nothing else, this government is consistent. Every single person is unqualified for their job .
The fourth user added: I think he should consider her for his personal physician
Another user said: I don’t understand how so many Americans can be this upset over an elected leader, an ELECTED leader.
Someone said: Tragic mistake!