President Donald Trump said April 30 he’s nominating Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist specializing in breast cancer, to serve as the next U.S. Surgeon General. Saphier is Trump's third Surgeon General nominee in his second term.
"Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention," Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the nomination.
He called Saphier "an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans," adding, "Dr. Nicole Saphier will do great things for our Country, and help, 'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN.'"
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 30, 2026
Saphier is a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey. She earned her doctor of medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine and completed fellowships at the Mayo Clinic.
She has also served as a longtime Fox News medical contributor on public health topics like cancer screening and prevention, ultra-processed foods and childhood nutrition, and addiction.
Replacing Dr. Casey Means
Saphier’s nomination came after tense exchanges between Dr. Casey Means, Trump’s previous nominee, and lawmakers of both parties during her confirmation hearing in late February that threw into question whether she could secure enough votes.
Following the hearing, Means’ path forward stalled in the Senate due to questions about her experience and her stance on vaccines.
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In an earlier post April 30, Trump thanked Means for her service and accused Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the chair of the Senate health committee, of blocking the nomination. Cassidy had sharply questioned Means on vaccines during her hearing.
Trump called Cassidy “a very disloyal person.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 30, 2026
The surgeon general serves as the nation’s top public health spokesperson and holds the rank of vice admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. No date has been scheduled yet for Saphier’s Senate confirmation hearing.