After Trump’s named his new surgeon general pick, Laura Loomer said ‘MAHA is literally being taken over by Marxists and Grifters.’ What to know about the nominee, a glucose monitoring company founder.
RFK Jr. unveils plan to ban eight artificial food dyes by 2026
Eight artificial dyes will be banned from medications and the nation’s food supply by the end of 2026, Health Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
President Donald Trump on May 7 announced a new pick for U.S. surgeon general, naming RFK Jr. ally with a large online following, Dr. Casey Means. It was a decision that quickly sparked drama among some of Trump’s supporters.
“Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials,” Trump wrote in a May 8 Truth Social post. “Her academic achievements, together with her life’s work, are absolutely outstanding. Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History.”
Means was tapped at the same time Trump pulled his first pick for the role, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
According to a source familiar with the president’s decision, Nesheiwat’s previous positions on masking, social distancing and her support of COVID 19 vaccines do not mesh well with the MAHA vision. In his social media post, the president said Nesheiwat will work with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “in another capacity.”
Who is Casey Means?
Means, a 37-year-old Stanford-educated physician, is also an author with a large online following. She is co-founder of Levels, a glucose monitoring tech company.
She is the sister of Calley Means, an outspoken supporter and close adviser to RFK Jr. The siblings co-authored the 2024 book “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health” and have championed Kennedy’s “Make America Health Again” platform. They are advocates for his focus on addressing chronic diseases.
Means and her brother gained attention after an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast last August.
Casey Means sparks questions and backlash among some Trump supporters
Nesheiwat, the president’s first choice for surgeon general, had faced sharp criticism from conservative podcast host Laura Loomer.
Now, Means too has caught the ire of the MAGA activist and Trump ally.
“MAHA is literally being taken over by Marxists and Grifters,” Loomer wrote on X early May 8, amid a series of posts, many of which called Means out by name. “The entire MAHA movement is being taken over by Marxist Trump haters. It’s a full-fledged vetting crisis.
Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s previous 2024 running mate, expressed her disappointment with the nomination in a post splitting with Trump and Kennedy.
“Doesn’t make any sense,” Shanahan wrote on May 7. “I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be).”
“I don’t know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on,” she continued, adding, “With regards to the siblings, there is something very artificial and aggressive about them.”