Trump recently nominated Casey Means for Surgeon General after pulling his previous choice, Jannette Nesheiwat. Trump described Means as having impeccable MAHA credentials. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History. Congratulations to Casey!”

The position of US Surgeon General is relevant to every citizen in every state and county across the US – including Fulton. And we are paying attention.

It is not clear when the confirmation process will take place. But one thing is sure – if confirmed, Casey Means will bring energy and public attention to the position of US Surgeon General.

The Casey Conversation

The conversation in the media (some good, some bad) concerning Casey Means is more animated than media coverage of any of our past Surgeon General nominees.

And it’s likely to get more interesting.

The Casey Means nomination garners attention for a few reasons: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s commitment to “Make America Healthy Again” has become a powerful and vocal movement. Thus, the US Surgeon General (The Nation’s Doctor) role has become more relevant to the MAHA conversation.

Also, Dr. Casey Means’ narrative has the elements of a good news story. It’s the kind of story journalists want to bite into. She differs from most doctors, and her stance on traditional medicine invites debate.

Opinions and Debate About Casey Means

Opinions about her are conflicting – even within the realm of conservatives.

For example, Megan Kelly said about Means, “She and her brother Calley [Means] are warriors for revolution within our healthcare system, and I am 110 percent behind both of them.”¹

But Laura Loomer, a conservative activist, called Means a “Marxist tree hugger.”² Some have criticized Means for her silence on MRNA vaccines, while others have expressed concerns over Means’s skepticism about vaccines in general.

Steve Kirsch criticized her as a pick for a nominee for Surgeon General, then later changed his mind – acknowledging that politics dictate that a nominee must be able to pass the Senate. ³

Casey Means has been criticized because her medical license has become inactive. (She has offered no explanation)

She is a proponent of psilocybin therapy stating in her book, “If you feel called, I also encourage you to explore intentional, guided psilocybin therapy,” This started some online conversations, debate, and criticism.

Bobby Kennedy Weighs In

HHS Secretary Bobby Kennedy has come to her defense, alluding to an organized anti-Means campaign, stating, “I have little doubt that these companies and their conflicted media outlets will continue to pay bloggers and other social media influencers to weaponize innuendo to slander and vilify Casey,”

What organizations is he referring to? Big Pharma? Big Food? A considerable portion of mainstream media’s income comes from these two industries. They could have a lot to lose if Americans walk away from the path that takes them to long-term chronic illness.

Who is Casey Means?

So, who is Casey Means? It’s not hard to find out who she says she is (which is probably a good source). If one reads her book, Good Energy, or watches one of her appearances on Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson, they will find her story is consistent. Means makes no secret about who she is, where she has been, and what she stands for.

The story of her medical career is not typical. She had credentials – she had been president of her class at Stanford Medical School. Reportedly disillusioned with traditional medicine, Means walked away from a promising career just months before completing a five-year residency at Oregon Health & Science University.

“Good Energy”

In her book, Good Energy Means says,

“I walked out of the hospital and embarked on a journey to understand the real reasons why people get sick and to figure out how to help patients restore and sustain their health.”

She established a small functional medicine metabolic health clinic where in her book Good Energy, she describes how she helped her patients identify the “root causes of illness rather than just treating isolated symptoms.” (Means coauthored Good Energy with her brother. The book has been on the NY Times best-seller list for over 30 weeks has sold over a million copies)

She and her brother then cofounded a continuous glucose monitoring company called Levels.

The Tucker Carlson Show

On the Tucker Carlton show, she explains that she didn’t want to make money from any industry that profits from people being sick. She told Tucker Carlson, “Nine years into my postgraduate training. And I looked around me and I realized that patients in America are getting destroyed. ”

So, she stepped away with no plan.

US Health Stats

On that same show, she quoted some worrisome statistics regarding the health of Americans:

• 50 % of adult Americans have pre-diabetes.
• 74% of American adults are overweight or obese.
• 50% of American children are overweight or obese.
• 25% of women are on an anti-depressant.
• Autism rates amongst children have risen to 1 in 36.

She states that these conditions (and others) are all caused by metabolic dysfunction.

That’s why she wrote her book and took the path she took. She says she wants to make a difference.

Let’s Talk About Health

Statistics are numbers – they aren’t political jargon. Whatever the cause of our declining health, these statistics indicate that American health is declining and won’t get better without intervention. Intervention starts with discussion and education.

At the head of that national discussion should be the U.S Surgeon General.

The HHS website describes the Surgeon General as follows:

The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.

Casey Means has already started the discussion and whomever gets confirmed as U.S. Surgeon General needs to continue it.

MAHA is more than a cliche, and the nomination for the position of Surgeon General is more than political drama.

We need to get this right. There is a lot at stake.

What the Future Holds

We can expect the confirmation hearings to be dramatic. Some will seek to make Casey Means look like a fanatic, and Republicans will try to get her to temper the views she shared with Carlson and Rogan.

Will Casey Means be confirmed as Surgeon General? And if so, how will Casey Means be remembered? She could be to the American medical system as John Newton was to the slave trade. Newton, who wrote the song Amazing Grace, was once captain of a slave ship. He reconsidered what he was doing and became one of the bravest opponents of the slave trade.

Massive changes to cultural norms do not change with a presidential executive order or an act of legislation. Moving the American medical and food industries from destructive to helpful will take time. But having someone who is willing to talk, like Casey Means, as Surgeon General could be a step in the right direction.

References

1.Storm.meg. “Megyn Shares Why She Is ‘110% Behind’ Dr. Casey Means as Donald Trump’s New Pick for Surgeon General”.MK Media. May 8,2025 https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Surgeon%20General%20is,risk%20of%20illness%20and%20injury.

2.Yahoo News. Archacki,Liam.MAGA Goes to War With MAHA Over ‘Marxist Tree Hugger’ Trump Pick.May,9, 2025.https://www.yahoo.com/news/maga-goes-war-maha-over-170943005.htm

3.“Casey Means Surgeon General Pick Sparks Debate Over mRNA Silence”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJuBhnRgHif/.Lindell TV. May 16, 2025

4.DHS.”Office of the Surgeon General”. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Surgeon%20General%20is,risk%20of%20illness%20and%20injury.

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