Like her short-lived predecessor, Dr. Nicole Saphier’s nomination to be U.S. surgeon general comes amid scrutiny over health messaging and vaccination, even as the surgeon general’s office can issue public advisories without directly setting vaccine policy.
Trump nominated Saphier as the next surgeon general, according to The Associated Press, after the nomination of Dr. Casey Means effectively stalled in the Senate. Means’ campaign for the role ended after it became clear she did not have the votes to move her nomination out of a Senate committee. Saphier, a radiologist, is the administration’s new nominee as the top U.S. public-health voice in a role that includes public-facing recommendations and messaging.
Saphier is described by AP as a former Fox News Channel contributor. She also serves as director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, based on the institution’s profile, and the profile says she has a medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados, along with fellowships at the Mayo Clinic. The American College of Radiology’s president, Dr. Dana Smetherman, called Saphier a “tireless advocate for women’s health.”
Trump’s nomination also reflects how the administration has used media personalities in health appointments. AP reported that Saphier was a longtime Fox News contributor until this week, and that one earlier surgeon general nominee, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was also a network contributor whose nomination collapsed last year after questions arose about her academic credentials. Kennedy, in turn, said in a social media post that Saphier’s experience with breast cancer patients and early detection would help the Republican administration take on a “chronic disease epidemic.”
AP also noted that Saphier is an author and podcaster with a show titled “Wellness Unmasked with Dr. Nicole Saphier,” and that she has commented frequently on the Trump administration’s approach to health—often favorably. AP described Saphier as having used the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” years before Kennedy popularized it, and said it was the title of a 2020 book she wrote that criticized the government’s handling of health care and the Affordable Care Act. The AP report also cited Saphier’s LinkedIn profile as showing she created a line of herbal supplements called Drop Rx.
On vaccination, AP said Saphier has questioned aspects of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, including the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, which the Trump administration has been trying to weaken. AP also reported that Saphier has aligned with Kennedy’s criticism of COVID-19 vaccination requirements in schools, and that on her podcast in September she called such requirements “a complete disaster” and one reason for declining trust in vaccination. Saphier has also tied that stance to the public information environment, saying on the podcast that “The more vaccine confusion we create, the more preventable disease we will see,” and urging the administration to “get itself in order,” calling it “really upsetting.”
At the same time, AP reported that Saphier says she supports immunization and argues that patients should be free to make their own medical decisions. In March, AP said she praised acting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for posting a message encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against measles.
Even while promoting elements of the administration’s health agenda, AP reported Saphier has publicly criticized what she described as health mistakes by Trump officials. AP said that last summer she criticized the administration’s anticipated first MAHA report and faulted its use of studies that “didn’t exist,” saying, “There were a lot of flaws in this report,” and adding, “In fact, it was pretty embarrassing.” She has also described Kennedy’s firing of CDC director Susan Monarez after less than a month as “a mess,” AP said.
AP also reported that in podcast remarks Saphier said the administration’s health-related behavior moves public health efforts away from a mission of trust-building. She said: “When we keep hearing radical transparency and we’re going to regain trust, I can tell you these shenanigans are taking us farther away from that mission.”
After Means’ confirmation hearings earlier this year, AP reported, Saphier said she expected Means to do a good job as surgeon general but wished Means was “a little bit less involved with MAHA.” AP also reported that Saphier has criticized advice from Trump to pregnant women not to take Tylenol, describing in an email to AP last year that the message was overly simplistic and that untreated fever or severe pain can also pose risks to mothers and babies.
AP reported that not all MAHA influencers appear to support Saphier. Turning Point USA podcaster Alex Clark said in a post on Friday that Saphier “gets an F when it comes to all things MAHA.”