Casey Means

{{Short description|American wellness influencer, author, and former physician (born 1987)}} {{pp-vandalism|small=yes}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Casey Means | image = Casey Means on Ron Johnson Roundtable Discussion.jpg | caption = Means in 2024 | birth_name = Paula Casey Means | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|9|24}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = | relatives = Calley Means (brother) | education = Stanford University (BS, MD) }} '''Paula Casey Means''' (born September 24, 1987), known as '''Casey Means''', is an American wellness influencer,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blum |first=Dani |date=February 25, 2026 |title=Casey Means, Critic of Mainstream Medicine, Poised to Become Nation’s Top Doctor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/well/casey-means-surgeon-general.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=February 25, 2026 |website=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Will |date=February 25, 2026 |title=Surgeon general nominee Means questioned about vaccines, birth control and financial conflicts |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5725399/surgeon-general-casey-means-vaccines-birth-control |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225195300/https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5725399/surgeon-general-casey-means-vaccines-birth-control |archive-date=February 25, 2026 |access-date=February 25, 2026 |website=NPR}}</ref> author, and former physician.

Means graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014.<ref name="de Leon" /> She pursued an ENT surgical residency at Oregon Health and Science University but dropped out of the program in 2018.<ref name="de Leon" />

Although Means was educated as a physician, she does not have an active medical license.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Popat |first=Shrai |date=February 25, 2026 |title=Trump’s pick for surgeon general dodges vaccine questions at Senate hearing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225214616/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee |archive-date=February 25, 2026 |access-date=February 25, 2026 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> She previously operated a functional medicine practice in Portland.<ref name="de Leon" /> She is considered a leader of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement along with her brother, Calley Means, who is also her co-author and business partner.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooney |first=Elizabeth |date=February 25, 2026 |title=Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor |url=https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/25/casey-means-maha-surgeon-general-hearing-restore-wholeness/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225183353/https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/25/casey-means-maha-surgeon-general-hearing-restore-wholeness/ |archive-date=February 25, 2026 |access-date=February 25, 2026 |website=STAT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cueto |first=Isabella |date=October 7, 2024 |title=With boost from RFK Jr. and Tucker Carlson, two chronic disease entrepreneurs vault into Trump’s orbit |url=https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/07/calley-means-casey-means-conservative-voices-of-chronic-disease-crisis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260217215908/https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/07/calley-means-casey-means-conservative-voices-of-chronic-disease-crisis/ |archive-date=February 17, 2026 |access-date=February 26, 2026 |website=STAT}}</ref> On May 7, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated her as surgeon general, following his withdrawal of his earlier nominee, Janette Nesheiwat. Trump withdrew Means's nomination in April 2026, replacing her with Nicole Saphier.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nitzberg|first=Alex |title=Trump taps Nicole Saphier as surgeon general, dropping Casey Means nomination|url=https://www.foxnews.com/health/trump-taps-nicole-saphier-surgeon-general-dropping-casey-means-nomination|website=Fox News|date=April 30, 2026 |access-date=April 30, 2026 }}</ref>

==Early life and education== Born Paula Casey Means on September 24, 1987,<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Means |first=Casey |user=CaseyMeansMD |number=1838747091386142876 |date=September 24, 2024 |title=Today is My 37th birthday. |access-date=May 7, 2025 |link=https://x.com/CaseyMeansMD/status/1838747091386142876}}</ref>{{better source|date=January 2026}} Means shared her full birth name in a podcast interview, stating that she was named after Paul the Apostle, but legally dropped her given name after graduating from medical school.<ref>{{Cite AV media |people=Esselstyn, Rip (host) & Means, Casey (guest) |date=November 30, 2023 |title=#225: Casey Means, MD—Improve Your Metabolic Health with a "Food as Medicine" Prescription |format=podcast |work=PlantStrong |time=00:04:59-00:06:02 |url=https://www.plantstrongpodcast.com/blog/casey-means-md |access-date=2026-01-09 |quote=[Duration:] 01:38:27.}}</ref> She is the first daughter of Grady and Gayle Means; Grady served as an assistant to U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, worked on health and human welfare issues at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and was a managing partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevenon |first=Stacy |url=https://www.coastsidenews.com/community/book-presents-the-endgame-as-a-winner/article_c326a7a0-455b-52c2-9541-ac25b9fe3546.html |title=Book Presents the 'Endgame' as a Winner |date=November 19, 2012 |work=Coastside News |access-date=May 7, 2025 | url-access = subscription}}</ref>{{verification needed|date=January 2026}} Gayle died of pancreatic cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging her children to resolve "broken health incentives" in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Tin |first1=Alexander |last2=Walsh |first2=Joe |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee/ |title=Dr. Casey Means, Trump's new surgeon general nominee, is RFK Jr. ally and MAHA advocate |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=CBS News |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Muller |first1=Madison |last2=Wingrove |first2=Josh |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-07/white-house-said-to-pull-nomination-for-surgeon-general-pick |title=Trump Taps Means as Surgeon General After Pulling First Pick |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>

After graduating from the Madeira School in 2005,<ref>{{Cite magazine |first=Jordana |last=Comiter |date=May 8, 2025 |title=Who Is Casey Means? What to Know About Trump's New Surgeon General Nominee — and Her Ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. |url=https://people.com/who-is-casey-means-11730726 |access-date=2025-10-26 |magazine=People}}</ref> Means attended Stanford University, where she graduated with honors with a bachelor's degree in human biology in 2009.<ref name="Jarvie">{{Cite news |last1=Jarvie |first1=Jenny |title=Trump's pick for surgeon general quit medical residency due to stress, former department chair says |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-05-08/trump-taps-casey-means-los-angeles-holistic-doctor-as-surgeon-general |access-date=May 8, 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> She then earned her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014 and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.<ref name="Jarvie"/><ref name="Pager Means Withdrawn">{{Cite web |last=Pager |first=Tyler |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/us/politics/casey-means-surgeon-general.html |title=Trump Withdraws Surgeon General Nomination and Announces New Choice |date=May 7, 2025 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> <ref name=":0" /> According to a statement by the medical school: "during her time at Stanford, Means demonstrated a strong commitment to comprehensive patient care, published peer-reviewed articles and held a leadership role in the Arbor Free Clinic, which provides care to underserved populations".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web | author = Stanford Medicine Staff | date=2025-05-14 | title= Awards & Honors: Statement from Stanford School of Medicine on Alum Casey Means | url=https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/05/casey-means.html |access-date=2025-08-05 |website= |publisher=Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford Medicine) |language=en-US | quote = [Subtitle and continuing:] Casey Means, MD, has been nominated to serve as the United States surgeon general. / When Casey Means entered the Stanford School of Medicine, she rapidly established herself as an outstanding student. Attending physicians recognized her clinical performance in disciplines ranging from internal medicine to general surgery to psychiatry, citing her technical skill, clinical judgment, breadth of knowledge and critical thinking abilities...}}</ref>

After graduating from medical school, Means started a residency in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) with the aim of becoming an ENT surgeon.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Semuels |first=Alana |title=Inside the Health Views of Casey Means, Trump's Surgeon General Nominee |url=https://time.com/7284235/dr-casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee-trump/ |access-date=May 8, 2025 |magazine=Time |date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> During her studies, she held various research positions (at the NIH, New York University, and OHSU).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Egwuonwu |first=Nnamdi |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-surgeon-general-nominee-casey-means-janette-nesheiwat-rcna205476 |title=Trump abruptly pulls surgeon general nominee and names new pick with ties to RFK Jr. |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Six months before the end of the five-year program, she dropped out of her surgical residency,<ref name="Jarvie"/> due to self-reported stress and her claim of having become disillusioned with the state of healthcare in the United States.<ref name="Jarvie"/><ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Eban |first1=Katherine |title="She Was Tearful About It": The Nuances of Casey Means's Medical Exit and Antiestablishment Origins |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/the-nuances-of-casey-means-medical-exit |access-date=13 May 2025 |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=9 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Will |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/nx-s1-5389962/trump-casey-means-surgeon-general |title=Trump picks Casey Means for surgeon general, after first nominee withdraws |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=NPR |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Essley Whyte |first=Liz |url=https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-taps-a-maha-movement-leader-for-surgeon-general-81756dfa |title=Trump Picks a 'MAHA' Movement Leader for Surgeon General |date=May 7, 2025 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Kaitlan |last2=Owermohle |first2=Sarah |last3=Howard |first3=Jacqueline |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/health/trump-surgeon-general-nesheiwat-means |title=White House withdraws another key nomination with last-minute pivot to MAHA influencer for US surgeon general |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=CNN |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>

==Career== ===Medical practice === In January 2019, Means established Means Health, a functional medical practice and wellness consulting business, in Portland, Oregon.<ref name="de Leon">{{Cite web |author=de Leon, Kristine| date=May 16, 2025 | title=U.S. surgeon nominee points to OHSU residency as pivotal in shaping her medical views | work=The Oregonian | url=https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2025/05/us-surgeon-nominee-points-to-ohsu-residency-as-pivotal-in-shaping-her-medical-views.html |access-date=February 26, 2026 |archive-date=July 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250724122842/https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2025/05/us-surgeon-nominee-points-to-ohsu-residency-as-pivotal-in-shaping-her-medical-views.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Eban, Katherine| date=May 9, 2025 | title=She Was Tearful About It": The Nuances of Casey Means’s Medical Exit and Antiestablishment Origins | work=Vanity Fair | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/the-nuances-of-casey-means-medical-exit |access-date=February 26, 2026 |archive-date=December 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251219090650/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/the-nuances-of-casey-means-medical-exit}}</ref> She was granted a medical license from the Oregon Medical Board in December 2018, but it has been inactive since 2024.<ref name="de Leon" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://omb.oregon.gov/Clients/ORMB/Public/VerificationDetails.aspx?EntityID=1530903 |title=License Verification Details |publisher=Oregon Medical Board |access-date=May 7, 2025}}{{primary source inline|date=January 2026}}</ref>

===Teaching appointments=== In 2022, Means served as a lecturer in courses on subjects relating to food and health at Stanford, teaching graduate and undergraduate students there.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-14 |title=Statement from Stanford School of Medicine on Alum Casey Means |url=https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/05/casey-means.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260228120459/https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/05/casey-means.html |archive-date=2026-02-28 |access-date=2026-05-01 |work=News Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Businesses=== After leaving her surgical residency, Means founded Levels, a health technology company that sells wearable glucose monitors and apps to track bodily metrics.<ref name="de Leon" /> As of 2024, Means was reportedly serving as its chief medical officer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Will |date=June 14, 2024 |title=In 'Good Energy,' a doctor lays out how to measure and boost your metabolic health |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/14/nx-s1-4996408/good-energy-measure-metabolic-health-mitochondria |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260227025049/https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/14/nx-s1-4996408/good-energy-measure-metabolic-health-mitochondria |archive-date=February 27, 2026 |access-date=March 26, 2026 |website=NPR}}</ref>

In May 2025, Gregory Svirnovskiy of ''Politico'' reported that Means' website states she is an investor "and/or" adviser in Truemed, a company Calley Means, her brother, founded, that "employs doctors who sign off on the medical necessity of fitness and nutrition programs and advanced health tech so customers can get a tax break".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Svirnovskiy |first=Gregory | date=May 7, 2025 | title=Trump Picks Casey Means for Surgeon General | work=Politico | url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/07/trump-surgeon-general-casey-means-00334304 | access-date=May 7, 2025 | quote = [Means] started health app Levels, which offers exercise tracking and diet coaching, after dropping out of her surgical residency. ... Means’ website says she’s an investor and/or adviser in the company her brother founded, Truemed, which employs doctors who sign off on the medical necessity of fitness and nutrition programs and advanced health tech so customers can get a tax break. }}</ref>

Means also has capitalized on sponsorships from dietary supplements, creams, teas, and other products appearing on her social media accounts.<ref name=Kim>{{Cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Seung Min |last2=Perrone |first2=Matthew |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-surgeon-general-laura-loomer-794da62da02d5699683e3b1540b8a31f |title=Donald Trump taps wellness influencer close to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for surgeon general |date=May 7, 2025 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web | author = AJ Staff | date=May 7, 2025 | title=Trump Taps Wellness Influencer Casey Means for Surgeon General | work=Al Jazeera (AJ) | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/7/trump-administration-taps-wellness-influencer-for-surgeon-general |access-date=May 10, 2025 }}</ref>

===Writing=== Means and her brother, Calley Means, co-wrote a medically related book directed at popular audiences, ''Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health'', which was published by Penguin-Random House in 2024.<ref name=Scherger/><ref name=MeansAndMeans2024>{{Cite book |last1=Means |first1=Casey |last2=Means |first2=Calley |author-link2=Calley Means |date=2024 |title=Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health |location=London, England and New York, NY |publisher=Avery-PenguinRandomHouse |isbn=9780593712641 | url = https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727184/good-energy-by-casey-means-md-and-calley-means/ | access-date = 2026-01-09}} See also [https://books.google.com/books?id=NsLQEAAAQBAJ this link], for the book's entry at Google Books.</ref> As described in review by physician and public health professional Joseph E. Scherger, writing for the journal of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine:<blockquote>...Means describes... all food becom[ing] energy in the body, converted by the mitochondria [of our bodies' cells] for different purposes. Good energy [comes from] food that nourishes us in positive ways. Bad energy, which occupies much of the book, [comes from] food that results in metabolic dysfunction and a variety of health problems. Good energy... from the food of the natural world... [is] unprocessed, [and] nurtures our metabolism. Bad energy comes from ultraprocessed foods, sugars, and inflammatory proteins and fats.<ref name=Scherger/></blockquote> Scherger notes that, through the book, the Meanses are "on a mission to eliminate bad energy from [the diets of] as many people as possible."<ref name=Scherger/> Overall, Scherger reviews the book positively, stating, "''Good Energy'' is an excellent book for a lifestyle medicine book club and may be recommended for patients wanting good nutritional advice. It is well worth reading."<ref name=Scherger>{{citation | author = Scherger, Joseph E. | author-link = Joseph E. Scherger | date=4 April 2025| title=Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health | format = book review| journal=Family Medicine |volume=57 |issue=6 |pages=454–455 | doi=10.22454/FamMed.2025.928584 | doi-access=free |pmc=12295604 | url=https://journals.stfm.org/familymedicine/online-first/br-scherger-0390/ | access-date = 2026-01-09 }}</ref> Jessica Winter, ''The New Yorker'' family, education, and reproductive rights reporter,<ref name=NY_Winter>{{cite web | author=New Yorker Staff & Winter, Jessica | date=2026-01-10 | title=Jessica Winter | work=The New Yorker| format = contributor bio/autobiography | url=https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jessica-winter | access-date = 2026-01-10 }}</ref> criticized the work, describing the Means' book as "a memoir, a quasi-anti-establishment screed, and an orthorexic diet guide" advancing core positions of the MAHA movement:<blockquote>The first is that Big Food and Big Pharma are incentivized to make and keep us sick. The second is that many conventional medicines and interventions do little to improve our health, and often worsen it; ... And, third, that most maladies can be prevented or treated through one's own ascetic diet and life-style choices.<ref name=NY>{{cite web |author=Winter, Jessica | date=May 22, 2025 | title=What Casey Means and MAHA Want You to Fear | work=The New Yorker| url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/what-casey-means-and-maha-small-want-you-to-fear | access-date = 2026-01-10 | url-access = subscription}}</ref>{{verification needed|date=January 2026}}</blockquote>

==Surgeon General nomination== Through her social media impact and close association with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Means is considered one of the leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Florko |first=Nicholas |date=May 8, 2025 |title=The MAHA Takeover Is Complete |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/05/casey-means-surgeon-general-maha/682747/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250509115832/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/05/casey-means-surgeon-general-maha/682747/ |archive-date=May 9, 2025 |access-date=May 9, 2025 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref><ref name="Butler">{{Cite web |last1=Butler |first1=Kiera |last2=Merlan |first2=Anna |date=May 8, 2025 |title=Trump's New Surgeon General Pick Wants to "Raise the Vibration of Humanity" |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/05/casey-means-surgeon-general/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250508205412/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/05/casey-means-surgeon-general/ |archive-date=May 8, 2025 |access-date=May 8, 2025 |website=Mother Jones}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Nirappil |first1=Fenit |last2=Roubein |first2=Rachel |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/05/07/casey-means-surgeon-general/ |title=Trump taps MAHA influencer for surgeon general, replacing first pick |date=May 7, 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Means and her brother, Calley, served as close advisers for Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign, helping to negotiate his eventual endorsement of Donald Trump.<ref name=Kim/> By October 2024, she had been considered as a potential appointee to lead a food and health agency in Trump's second presidency, according to ''The Washington Post''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Dan |last2=Roubein |first2=Rachel |last3=Weber |first3=Lauren |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/10/18/trump-rfk-maha-health/ |title=Trump, RFK Jr. vow to 'Make America Healthy Again,' raising hopes and doubts |date=October 18, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> ''The Wall Street Journal'' wrote the following month that she had been mentioned by Kennedy, Trump's then-nominee for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, as a potential nominee for Surgeon General of the United States or Commissioner of Food and Drugs,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Peterson |first1=Kristina |last2=Essley Whyte |first2=Liz |url=https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-rfk-calley-casey-means-bc996dc1 |title=The Siblings Behind RFK Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' Campaign |date=November 13, 2024 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> with Politico adding that she was also being considered for nomination as Assistant Secretary for Health.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cancryn |first1=Adam |last2=Lim |first2=David |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/19/trump-transition-health-finalists-00190365 |title=Trump transition closes in on picks for top health posts |date=November 19, 2024 |work=Politico |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Means and her brother, Calley, served as advisers to Kennedy by that month.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Miranda Ollstein |first1=Alice |last2=Cancryn |first2=Adam |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/22/kennedy-anti-vax-activists-transition-team-00191306 |title=Kennedy's 'MAHA transition team' includes anti-vax activists |date=November 22, 2024 |work=Politico |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>

By January 2025, the Meanses appeared unlikely to join the Department of Health and Human Services, but remained connected to Kennedy.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cancryn |first1=Adam |last2=Lim |first2=David |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/15/rfk-loyalists-hhs-trump-004032 |title=Trump transition puts up guardrails around RFK Jr. |date=January 15, 2025 |work=Politico |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> On May 7, the Trump administration began planning to withdraw Janette Nesheiwat's nomination as surgeon general after her résumé was questioned and Laura Loomer, a far-right social media political activist and conspiracy theorist, stated that Nesheiwat was "not ideologically aligned" with Trump.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pager |first=Tyler |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05/07/us/trump-news/8ab39005-1d59-5dde-8f10-2e2bde4168ca |title=The White House is planning to withdraw the nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat to be surgeon general, according to a person familiar with the decision. |date=May 7, 2025 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Hours later, Trump announced that he would nominate Means as surgeon general.<ref name="Pager Means Withdrawn"/> Trump said he did not know Means but nominated her based on Kennedy's recommendation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Samuels |first=Brett |title=Trump chose new surgeon general pick on RFK Jr.'s recommendation |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5290039-trump-chose-new-surgeon-general-pick-on-rfk-jr-s-recommendation/ |date=May 8, 2025 |work=The Hill |access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>

In addition to proponents of evidence-based medicine, Means' nomination has been criticized by anti-vaccination campaigners who favored health influencer Kelly Victory, such as Americans for Health Freedom's Mary Talley Bowden, Steve Kirsch, and Suzanne Humphries. Laura Loomer was sharply critical of Means' nomination, calling her a "total crack pot".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stolberg |first=Sheryl Gay |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/us/politics/means-loomer-trump-surgeon-general.html |title=Far-Right Activist Targets Trump's Surgeon General Pick |date=May 8, 2025 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 27, 2025}}</ref> Kennedy's 2024 running mate Nicole Shanahan was also critical of the nomination, claiming there was an understanding that Means would not play a role in the Trump administration.<ref name="Butler" /> On July 31, 2025, ''Politico'' reported that Means's nomination was stalled in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), pending her submission of financial disclosure and ethics paperwork.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Amanda |date=2025-07-31 |title=Missing Paperwork Stalls Trump's Surgeon General Nomination | work=Politico Pro |url=https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/07/missing-paperwork-stalls-trumps-surgeon-general-nomination-00486959 |access-date=2025-09-09 | url-access = subscription | language=en}}</ref>

Means's scheduled confirmation hearing before the HELP committee, which was to be the first such hearing held virtually, was postponed on October 30, 2025, after she went into labor.<ref name="guard-30oct2025">{{cite news |last1=Dunbar |first1=Marina |date=October 30, 2025 | title=Senate Postpones Hearing for Trump’s Surgeon General Pick After She Goes Into Labor | work=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/30/casey-means-surgeon-general-senate-hearing |access-date=October 30, 2025}}</ref> On January 3, 2026, Means's nomination expired per Senate rules, but Trump renominated her 10 days later.<ref name=DailyDigest20260103>{{cite journal | author = Congressional Staff | date= 2026-01-03 | title= Highlights / Senate / Chamber Action / Nominations Returned to the President | journal = Daily Digest | via = Congress.gov | issue = January 3, 2026 | format = p. D2 | url = https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2026/01/03/172/1/CREC-2026-01-03-v172-dailydigest.pdf | access-date=2026-01-10 | location = Washington, DC | publisher = U.S. Congress | quote = [Quote:] The Senate ...adjourned at 12:00:27 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026. ... The following nominations were returned to the President failing of confirmation under Senate Rule XXXI at the time of the adjournment of the First Session of the 119th Congress... [nomination of] Casey Means, of California, to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject to qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be Surgeon General of the Public Health Service for a term of four years.}}</ref><ref name=LesniewskiRollCall2022>{{cite web | author = Lesniewski, Niels | date=January 4, 2022 | title= As New Session Gets Underway, Biden Begins Sending Nominees Back to Senate | work = RollCall.com | url = https://rollcall.com/2022/01/04/as-new-session-gets-underway-biden-begins-sending-nominees-back-to-senate/ | access-date=2026-01-08 |quote = [Quote:] Under Senate rules, nominations not confirmed by the end of a legislative session must be returned to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue and resubmitted....}}</ref><ref name="renomination">{{cite web |title=Nominations Sent to the Senate |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-078c/ |website=The White House |access-date=16 January 2026 |date=13 January 2026}}</ref> She appeared before the HELP committee on February 25, 2026.<ref name="guard-25feb2026">{{cite news |last1=Popat |first1=Shrai |title=Wellness influencer picked by Trump for surgeon general faces Senate grilling |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee |access-date=February 25, 2026 |date=February 25, 2026}}</ref> On March 25, 2026, the ''Associated Press'' reported that her nomination was stalled in the Senate stemming from her testimony over vaccines and other health topics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swenson |first=Ali |date=2026-03-25 |title=Means' surgeon general nomination is stalled as senators question her experience and vaccine stance |url=https://apnews.com/article/casey-means-surgeon-general-nomination-trump-kennedy-04fdbb46b3029d4d6b1a7a3da63730df |access-date=2026-04-11 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

In April 2026, Trump withdrew Means's nomination.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-30/trump-pulls-means-surgeon-general-nomination-white-house-says |title=Trump Pulls Means Surgeon General Nomination, White House Says |date=April 30, 2026 |last1=Cohrs Zhang |first1=Rachel |last2=Muller |first2=Madison |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bendix |first=Aria |last2=Leach |first2=Brennan |date=2026-04-30 |title=Trump pulls Dr. Casey Means' nomination for surgeon general, announces replacement |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-pulls-casey-means-nomination-general-replacement-nicole-saphier-rcna261423 |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jaramillo |first=Alejandra |date=2026-04-30 |title=Trump pulls controversial surgeon general pick and makes third nomination for the role {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/politics/surgeon-general-new-trump-nominee |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==Published works== ===Books=== * {{Cite book |last1=Means |first1=Casey |last2=Means |first2=Calley |author-link2=Calley Means |date=2024 |title=Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health |location=London, England and New York, NY |publisher=Avery-PenguinRandomHouse |isbn=9780593712641 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NsLQEAAAQBAJ | access-date = 2026-01-09}} ===Journal articles=== Means published more than a half dozen scholarly articles in medical journals during her training years, most from Oregon Health and Science University related to her post-graduate specialisation in otorhinolaryngology, but also from Stanford Medicine and Means Health in Portland Oregon (the latter in ''Metabolism'', see following), as well as articles in the areas of sleep studies and oncology—including in John Wiley & Sons' ''Head & Neck'', in the journal, ''The Laryngoscope'', and the ''International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology'', as well as in ''Cytometry. Part A'', ''Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental'', and others.<ref>{{cite web | author = NLM Pubmed Staff | date = | title = Casey Means [AU]—7 results | work = Pubmed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Casey+Means+%5BAU%5D&sort=pubdate&sort_order=asc&size=100 | access-date = 2026-01-10 | quote = }}</ref>

==Views== After withdrawing from her surgical residency, Means became a practitioner of functional medicine.<ref name="Dickson"/> Her views have been criticized by science communicator Jonathan Jarry of the McGill Office for Science and Society, who wrote that "[Means] is not a metabolic health expert" and "theories claiming to have found a single cause for all diseases never pan out". Jarry has referred to her book as an example of "scienceploitation", accusing her of using preliminary research on mitochondrial dysfunction to promote dubious products or policy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jarry |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/mitochondrial-dysfunction-bit-fad |title=Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is a Bit of a Fad |date=November 15, 2024 |author-link=Jonathan Jarry |publisher=Office for Science and Society |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Means has been noted to "blam[e] the ultra-processed food system for much of the chronic disease in America",<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Jewett |first1=Christina |last2=Creswell |first2=Julie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/health/rfk-big-food-artificial-dyes-trump.html |title=Kennedy's Vow to Take On Big Food Could Alienate His New G.O.P. Allies |date=November 15, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> and has had ascribed to her the view that the origin of most diseases lie in our exposures to ultra-processed foods and environmental factors, to a lack of sunlight, and to lack of exercise.{{cn|date=January 2026}}

===Medical error, vaccination, and other issues=== Means has repeated FDA Commissioner Marty Makary's claim that the third leading cause of death in the United States is medical error (i.e., death "from medical care itself"),<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Makary |first1=Martin A. |last2=Daniel |first2=Michael |date=2016-05-03 |title=Medical Error—The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2139 |journal=BMJ |language=en |volume=353 |article-number=i2139 |doi=10.1136/bmj.i2139 |issn=1756-1833 |pmid=27143499|url-access=subscription }}</ref> a claim that has been criticized by experts as "self-serving, irresponsible sensationalism", and based on "incredible numbers borne out of unreliable calculations."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jarry |first1=Jonathan |title=Medical Error Is Not the Third Leading Cause of Death |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health/medical-error-not-third-leading-cause-death |website=Office for Science and Society |publisher=McGill University |access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gianoli |first1=Gerard J. |title=Medical Error Epidemic Hysteria |journal=The American Journal of Medicine |date=December 2016 |volume=129 |issue=12 |pages=1239-40 |doi=10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.06.037 |url=https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(16)30705-7/fulltext |access-date=31 January 2026|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In addition, Means has criticized the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |last2=Mandavilli |first2=Apoorva |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/us/politics/trump-rfk-jr-vaccine-skepticism.html |title=Trump's Transition Team Head Says R.F.K. Jr. Converted Him to Vaccine Skeptic |date=October 31, 2024 |author-link2=Apoorva Mandavilli |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> and, per ''New York'' magazine, she has "raised long-settled questions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines despite not representing herself as an anti-vaxxer".<ref name="Dickson">{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=E. J. |date=December 16, 2024 |title=The Siblings With RFK Jr.'s Ear |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/casey-means-calley-rfk-jr-joe-rogan-trump-health-agenda.html |access-date=May 8, 2025 |website=The Cut |language=en}}</ref>

Means has referred to infertility as a crisis,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blum |first=Dani |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/well/infertility-fertility-america.html |title=Does the United States Have an Infertility Crisis? |date=November 26, 2024 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> and has been critical of hormonal contraception on both medical grounds, questioning how it affects women's health, and moral grounds, referring to it as a "disrespect of life".<ref name="Dickson"/>

Means has spoken in support of raw milk, stating, "When it comes to a question like raw milk, I want to be free to form a relationship with a local farmer, understand his integrity, look him in the eyes, pet his cow, and then decide if I feel safe to drink the milk from his farm."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gilbert |first=David |title=Trump's Surgeon General Pick Is Tearing the MAHA Movement Apart |magazine=WIRED |date=May 9, 2025 |url=https://www.wired.com/story/casey-means-surgeon-general-trump-rfk-controlled-opposition-vaccine/ |access-date=May 12, 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

===Additional References=== *{{Cite AV media |people=Huberman, Andrew (host) & Means, Casey (guest) |date=May 6, 2024 |title=Dr. Casey Means: Transform Your Health by Improving Metabolism, Hormone & Blood Sugar Regulation |format=podcast |work=HubermanLab.com |time=00:06:41-00:12:39 |url=https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-casey-means-transform-your-health-by-improving-metabolism-hormone-blood-sugar-regulation |access-date=2026-01-09 |quote=[Duration:] 02:56:27.}} *{{Cite web |last=Tom |first=Kip |date=2025-05-29 |title=The Misguided Anti-Pesticide Crusade of Casey and Calley Means |url=https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2025/05/29/the_misguided_anti-pesticide_crusade_of_casey_and_calley_means_1113134.html |access-date=2025-10-22 |work=Real Clear Science |language=en}} *{{Cite web |last=Ramaswamy |first=Swapna Venugopal | date=May 7, 2025 | title=Trump Changes Mind on Surgeon General Pick [Janette Nesheiwat], Tapping Wellness Influencer Close to RFK Jr. [Means] | work=USAToday.com | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/07/trump-surgeon-general-nominee-casey-means-rfk/83500780007/ |access-date=2026-01-10}} *{{Cite news |last=Feinberg |first=Andrew |date=2025-05-08 |title=Trump picks conspiracy theorist with no medical license to be Surgeon General |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/surgeon-general-pick-medical-school-b2746743.html |access-date=2025-10-22 |work=The Independent |language=en}} *{{Cite web |last=Jarry |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/kennedys-coalition-quacks-wants-feed-america-diet-lies |title=Kennedy's Coalition of Quacks Wants to Feed America a Diet of Lies |date=February 14, 2025 |author-link=Jonathan Jarry |publisher=Office for Science and Society |access-date=May 8, 2025}}

==External links== * [https://www.caseymeans.com Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Means, Casey}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American medical doctors Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:21st-century American women medical doctors Category:American health activists Category:American health and wellness writers Category:Madeira School alumni Category:Medical doctors from Portland, Oregon Category:People in alternative medicine Category:Stanford University School of Medicine alumni Category:Writers from Portland, Oregon