Trump announces new pick for surgeon general nomination : NPR

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Trump has appointed a new surgeon general – the head of public health advisories. Dr. Nicole Saphier works at one of the nation’s top cancer centers and is expected to be more acceptable to Republican lawmakers who blocked the previous pick’s confirmation process. In a moment, we’ll get an assessment from the surgeon general on Trump’s first term. We begin with the details of this nomination.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

NPR’s Pien Huang is here to tell us more about her. Hello, Pien.

PIEN HUANG, BYLINE: Hello, Michel.

MARTIN: So tell us about her. Who is Dr. Nicole Saphier?

HUANG: Yeah. She is therefore a doctor, a radiologist, specializing in breast cancer. She is the director of breast imaging at a branch of Memorial Sloan Kettering in New Jersey. She is also a wellness influencer. She sells herbal supplements to promote focus and calmness on Amazon. And she’s a frequent contributor to Fox News in the medical field with a podcast called “Wellness Unmasked.” In his nomination message on Truth Social, Trump described her as a star doctor and an incredible communicator.

MARTIN: Which, I mean, being a communicator is pretty key to this role, right?

HUANG: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the surgeon general is responsible for promoting health-based, science-based measures that keep people healthy. Saphier spoke about this work in February on her podcast and she said the surgeon general’s primary role is to deliver public health messages.

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NICOLE SAPHIER: They need respect not only from the people, from the American people that they’re communicating with, but they also need respect from the administration that they’re working with together to conduct this research and get the message out.

HUANG: Saphier also said they needed the respect of the medical establishment, and at the time, in his opinion, that’s where the previous candidate, Dr. Casey Means, fell short.

MARTIN: Well, say more. Why was Dr. Means’ nomination ultimately withdrawn?

HUANG: Yeah. The position of surgeon general has therefore been quite a saga for Trump. Saphier is Trump’s third choice, and he withdrew his first nominee after scrutiny of how she presented her medical qualifications. Next, he chose Dr. Casey Means, who does not have an active medical license. And during a confirmation hearing in February, she faced pushback from senators, including some Republicans, over her views on vaccines. She said she believes vaccines save lives, but did not encourage parents to vaccinate their children against measles and flu.

Yesterday, Trump called Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, saying Cassidy was standing in the way of Means’ confirmation. And in response, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Cassidy, said on X that it was clear Means didn’t have the votes.

MARTIN: Cassidy is a doctor, so, you know, he had thoughts. So, where does Dr. Saphier stand on these questions?

HUANG: Well, she sort of started the Make America Healthy Again movement before Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took charge. It’s actually the title of a book she published in 2020. And David Mansdoerfer, who served as health care official during Trump’s first term, says Saphier appeals to Republicans.

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DAVID MANSDOERFER: I think she’s extremely strong on some of the fundamental issues, the pro-life issue. She is excellent when it comes to chronic diseases and prevention. She talks a lot about the MAHA influence, especially among suburban moms.

HUANG: Now, Saphier’s views on vaccines are a little murky. She’s not against all vaccines – she doesn’t think they cause autism. But she also said she supports what she calls medical freedom and the choice of individuals to choose if and when to get vaccinated. One thing that is clear is that she will receive many questions on this and other topics during a confirmation hearing.

MARTIN: That’s Pien Huang from NPR. Well, thank you.

HUANG: You’re welcome.

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