President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of his nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. The decision came on the heels of scrutiny regarding her educational credentials and criticism leveled by conservative commentator Laura Loomer.
In a statement via social media, Trump indicated that he will instead nominate Dr. Casey Means as his choice for the role of surgeon general.
According to Trump, Nesheiwat will continue to serve at the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a different capacity.
This announcement came just a day before Nesheiwat was set to participate in her confirmation hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Notably, Nesheiwat is related to Trump’s former national security advisor, Mike Waltz, who was dismissed from his position last Thursday as Trump nominated him for the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Following Loomer’s dissatisfaction with several National Security Council officials, Trump had also removed them earlier this month after Waltz defended them during an Oval Office meeting where Loomer was present.
Concerns regarding Nesheiwat’s qualifications were initially raised by freelance writer Anthony Clark, who highlighted discrepancies in her educational claims in a Substack post.
According to a CBS News report, Nesheiwat purported to have received her degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, while records indicate that she actually graduated from the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine in St. Maarten. A representative from the University of Arkansas affirmed that she completed her residency in family medicine there.
On Sunday, Loomer took to X to voice her opinions, stating, “We really need a new nominee for US Surgeon General.”
Loomer criticized Nesheiwat’s previous comments branding “vaccine hesitancy as a global health threat” and her advocacy for the COVID-19 vaccine during her tenure at Finance Newso News.
“I genuinely wish we had a different nominee that was more aligned with personal liberties,” she added.
The withdrawal of Nesheiwat’s nomination marks the second occasion this year where Trump has pulled a significant health official pick, following the retraction of former Florida Representative Dave Weldon’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March.
