Meet the MAHA influencer Trump wants as the “nation’s doctor”
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Good morning. The wellness influencer Trump wants to be the nation's doctor faces Congress.
This public health crisis is touching every American family. It is robbing our children of possibility, our workforce of productivity, and our nation of security.
An ICE whistleblower pulls back the curtain on training and recruitment and why one AI company is pushing back at demands from the Pentagon. It's Thursday, February 26.
What are the qualifications of President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General?
I'm Cecilia Ley, and this is Apple News Today. President Trump's nominee to become the next Surgeon General was in front of the Senate Health Committee yesterday for a confirmation hearing that became contentious. Casey Means would be an unconventional appointment. She would carry the informal title of the nation's doctor, but she doesn't actually have an active medical license, as Aria Bendix from NBC News explains.
Casey Means went to Stanford Medical School and notably did not complete her surgical residency. She actually dropped out with just months left in the program and then went on to become somewhat of a wellness influencer. And that's probably how she's best known to the public.
Bendix told us that Means made her name in the wellness industry by selling holistic remedies and other products like dietary supplements and teas. She also has a popular newsletter about healthy eating and founded a company that helps people monitor glucose levels. Her focus on chronic diseases and avoiding ultra-processed foods would find support on both sides of the aisle. But Means was also a key advisor during Kennedy's failed presidential bid, and she's credited with being one of the key architects of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
alongside her brother Callie Means, was really instrumental in elevating Secretary Kennedy to the position of power that he now holds within the federal government. So a lot of the ideas surrounding ultra-processed foods and even some of the vaccine concerns that she expressed today have been long held and long shared between herself and Secretary Kennedy.
Vaccines were a major focus of the hearing.
How does Casey Means' wellness approach impact public health discussions?
Here is Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor himself.
Do you believe that vaccines, whether individually or collectively, contribute to autism?
Senator Cassidy, you're a physician. I'm a physician. The reality is that we have an autism crisis that's increasing. And this is devastating to many families. And we do not know, as a medical community, what causes autism.
Pushing for a direct answer, Cassidy pressed her further on any links to vaccines.
There's been a lot of evidence showing that they're not implicated. Do you not accept that evidence?
I do accept that evidence. I also think that science has never settled. And I think that the effort to look at comprehensive cumulative exposures of our exposome into what is causing autism is important. And I look forward to seeing those results and sharing the best public health information with the American people.
Bendix told us that Means skirted questions at times or deferred to the CDC. In an exchange with Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, she appeared reluctant to take a view on Kennedy's recent unsubstantiated claims that the flu vaccine did nothing to prevent hospitalization or death in children.
This is an easy one, doctor.
This is an easy one. I support the CDC's guidance on the flu vaccine.
Do you think the flu vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalization or serious injury?
I've said it. You're a doctor. I believe vaccines save lives.
I believe they're an important part of public health strategy. The flu vaccine, does it reduce the risk of injury or hospitalization?
At the population level, I certainly think that it does.
The position has been unfilled for more than a year as Means' confirmation was delayed after giving birth. In that time, polling suggests that trust in agencies like the FDA and the CDC have declined as Kennedy has placed his supporters into top technical posts. The Surgeon General role, Bendix explained, is crucial for communicating health messages.
This is the figure that will put out health warnings and advisories for the entire country and people.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:05–0:31
2
What are the qualifications of President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General?
0:31–2:06
3
How does Casey Means' wellness approach impact public health discussions?
2:06–12:58
4
Why is there controversy surrounding Casey Means' vaccine views?
12:58–15:53
Speakers
9 identifiedMore from Apple News Today
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