Nicole Saphier is present at the Patriot Awards, held on December 5, 2024, in Greenvale, New York.Theo Wargo/Getty Images
On Thursday, President Donald Trump stated his intention to nominate Dr. Nicole Saphier as the forthcoming surgeon general.
Trump communicated the announcement via social media, describing Saphier as "an EXCEPTIONAL physician who has devoted her professional life to guiding women navigating breast cancer through diagnosis and therapy, while persistently advocating for enhanced early cancer screening and preventative measures."
The Surgeon General is commonly known as the "Nation's Doctor" and typically equips U.S. citizens with scientific data pertaining to well-being, encompassing aspects like diet, screen usage, and emotional wellness. The role is perhaps best recognized for issuing warnings about various products.
Saphier holds the position of director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, situated in New Jersey, and is a frequent medical commentator on Fox News.
As per her Memorial Sloan Kettering bio, she possesses expertise in "executing minimally invasive, image-guided interventions targeting the breast, kidney, pancreas, liver, thyroid, and lymph nodes."
Nicole Saphier is present at the Patriot Awards, held on December 5, 2024, in Greenvale, New York.Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Saphier has generally signaled backing for immunizations. In a video featured on Fox News Digital, Saphier mentioned that the bulk of investigations indicates the absence of a causative association between the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) shot and an elevated likelihood of autism.
This stance diverges from that of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has earlier implied a link between the two.
However, within the same video, Saphier voiced encouragement for a staggered pediatric vaccination plan, suggesting parents should have the option to postpone recommended vaccines until their children are older if they opt to do so.
Similar to Kennedy, she has also taken issue with the proliferation of heavily processed edibles in American eating habits and has advocated for youngsters consuming full-fat dairy items, like whole milk.
Her candidacy emerges a mere couple of months following Dr. Casey Means, Trump's preceding nominee, appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee for her confirmation proceedings.
During the session, Means conveyed her support for vaccines but refrained from endorsing specific inoculations.
Means, who possesses a medical credential but did not finalize her residency and lacks a currently valid medical license, seemed hesitant to assert that certain vaccines, such as the influenza shot, avert severe illness.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, leading the HELP committee and also a medical professional, pointed out that two children succumbed to measles the preceding year and pressed Means on whether she would urge parents to immunize their offspring with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot.
Initially, Means underscored individual sovereignty and replied that she supported vaccination and that each patient should engage in dialogue with their physician regarding vaccination.
In this archival image from Feb. 25, 2026, Dr. Casey Means, the nominee for medical director within the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and U.S. surgeon general, provides testimony at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, FILE
Prior to nominating Saphier, Trump conveyed via social media on Thursday that Cassidy was impeding Means' confirmation by the Senate.
In a message on X, Casey Means' brother Calley Means, who serves as a senior adviser at HHS and is close to Kennedy, alleged that his sister was being withdrawn from deliberation due to Cassidy's "ongoing delaying strategies."
Saphier marks the third individual Trump has put forward for the role of surgeon general.
Trump's initial selection, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, had her nomination unexpectedly rescinded in May 2025, just before her confirmation hearings were slated to commence.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com