Overview
- Nicole Saphier, President Trump’s third pick for surgeon general, drew fire after reports Wednesday by CNN’s KFile showed she deleted past posts that criticized Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Archived messages preserved on the Wayback Machine showed she questioned a possible loss of U.S. measles elimination status, pushed back on Trump’s warnings about Tylenol use in pregnancy, and raised questions about his 2025 MRI.
- The White House said she is an accomplished physician who will advance the Make America Healthy Again agenda, with spokesperson Kush Desai calling her a strong asset for the administration.
- Kennedy’s allies told CNN they fear he is being sidelined after having little input on Saphier’s selection, and one unnamed Trump adviser called MAHA influence “overrated,” while the White House denied marginalizing Kennedy.
- Saphier follows two withdrawn nominees, Janette Nesheiwat and Casey Means, and her critiques of Kennedy’s vaccine panel changes track with a March court ruling that the ACIP replacement process broke federal rules, placing policy and messaging to voters under fresh review as the Senate considers her.