Trump's new surgeon general under fire over explosive autism remarks... and embrace of spiritual healing

Experts have raised concerns about America's new top doctor pick over controversial comments she has made about topics such as autism and vaccines.

President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced Wednesday he replaced his initial nominee for the role of US Surgeon General, Dr Janette Nesheiwat, with Dr Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician and ally of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

She has echoed many of RFK's more controversial stances, including that autism may be caused by childhood vaccines, a view she shared on a recent Joe Rogan podcast episode.

Doctors told DailyMail.com Means is 'grossly underqualified' — she is one of only a handful of surgeons general to not have an active medical license and is the only one to have not finished her full medical training.

Means has also touted the benefits of spiritual meditation and energy healing and has described birth control as a 'disrespect of life.'

However, her nomination has sparked mixed opinions, with some health experts praising her Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) ideals like stripping artificial additives out of the food supply as 'bringing attention' to health risks of ultraprocessed foods.

Dr Michael Ednie, medical director of Bespoke Concierge in Florida, told DailyMail.com: 'If her past comments start to shape policy, especially around vaccines or public health recommendations, I’d be concerned. We need leadership that builds trust, not controversy.

'In my experience, there’s room to challenge the system, but you still have to stand on solid clinical evidence. I’m not sure she always does that.'

Means has been criticized as underqualified for the surgeon general position because she failed to finish her residency. This is a four-year training program doctors complete after medical school.

She trained at the University of Oregon as an otolaryngologist - ear, nose and throat doctor - but dropped out in her final year.

Doctors who don't finish residency are still licensed physicians, but they generally aren't able to practice medicine independently unless they are licensed in one of six states: Missouri, Arizona, Florida, Washington, Arkansas or Utah.

Means has claimed she stopped her training to focus on 'root-cause resolution medicine' and practice functional medicine, a form of alternative medicine often scrutinized as pseudoscience.

She currently has no active medical license in any state.

Dr Ednie told this website: 'Casey Means failed to complete her postgraduate residency training in otolaryngologist, has an inactive medical license and is legally prohibited from practicing medicine.

'She is a "wellness" entrepreneur without any public health training or credentials.

'Her nomination as surgeon general will worsen distrust in healthcare and erode evidence-based science.'

An active license is not legally required to become surgeon general, however, and four other people in the role didn't have one when they were appointed.

There have been 22 surgeons general so far since the position was established in 1871.

The US surgeon general acts as the leading spokesperson for public health in the federal government and is widely considered 'America's Doctor.'

The role involves advising the president and HHS secretary on matters such as emerging health threats (like pandemics or disease outbreaks), tobacco, drug use, and mental health and public health campaigns, including vaccination and nutrition.

Dr Tyler B Evans, CEO and co-founder of Wellness and Equity Alliance, told DailyMail.com nominating a surgeon general with no active medical license 'undermines the legacy of generations of public health experts who have grounded their work in rigorous science and moved medicine forward for the benefit of all.'

'Appointing a 37-year old media personality with no direct patient care experience to this role diminishes the integrity of the office, disrespects the service of thousands of Commissioned Corps officers, and ultimately shortchanges the American people at a time when strong, evidence based leadership is urgently needed.'

A White House spokesperson told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'Over 77 million Americans resoundingly re-elected President Trump to smash our country’s broken status quo and restore American Greatness – and that includes Making America Healthy Again.

'Dr. Casey Means has the ideal balance of elite credentials without the baggage of being beholden to a corrupt healthcare system that has profited from America’s chronic disease epidemic.

'Dr. Means will be a critical asset for President Trump to Make America Healthy Again as our next surgeon general.'

Much like her ally RFK Jr, Means is also skeptical about vaccines.

Earlier this year, the CDC, which operates under Kennedy, announced plans to study whether vaccines like the MMR shot for measles could cause autism, despite more than two decades of research disproving the theory.

While Means has not explicitly blamed any one vaccine, she said on a October episode of The Joe Rogan Experience: 'I bet that one vaccine isn't causing autism, but what about the 20 that [children are] getting before 18 months?'

Dr Michael Aziz, an attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told DailyMail.com there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism and that the 'medical community as a whole' has 'rejected' the idea.

Dr Aziz told this website: 'While her position on many health issues are valid, unorthodox views can be dangerous. Wrong views not based on science can lead parents not to let their children to make vaccines and endanger their children's lives.'

Means has also called vaccine mandates 'criminal' and expressed concerns about the safety of the Covid mRNA vaccines.

She wrote in a post on X: ‘Humans are never forced or coerced into taking or being exposed to experimental drugs, shots, or chemicals with ZERO long term safety or cumulative exposure data.'

Dr Barbara Sparacino, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist in Florida, told DailyMail.com: 'In a country where vaccine confidence is already fragile, especially following the politicization of COVID-19, the surgeon general must be a clear, unshakable voice of science.

'That includes defending the overwhelming body of evidence that vaccines are safe, effective, and essential for public health—not questioning them based on anecdote or ideology.'

Dave Asprey, a biotech entrepreneur and author of 'Heavily Medicated,' on the other end, praised Means' skeptical approach.

He told DailyMail.com: 'Dr Means is going deeper and looking at the actual environment that includes our food and other immune exposures.'

Means has also come under fire for her work as a wellness influencer, which has involved promoting energy healing, meditation shrines and tools like continuous glucose monitors for non-diabetics.

Dr Sparacino said: 'Her platform is not built solely on sound public health messaging. Dr Means has promoted expensive biohacking tools, wellness trackers, and proprietary supplements—many of which are sold through companies she co-founded or advises.

'This includes continuous glucose monitors marketed to the general population without diabetes, as well as high-end supplements and specialty foods that are often far out of reach for everyday Americans.

'While these tools may benefit a niche wellness audience, they risk reinforcing a troubling message: that health is for the wealthy, the tech-savvy, and the already well. That's not public health - that's marketing.'

Doctors speaking to DailyMail.com did, however, praise Means for repeatedly drawing attention to the growing health concerns surrounding ultraprocessed foods, which make up 70 percent of the US food supply.

Last week, a study estimated ultraprocessed foods directly contribute to 120,000 premature deaths every year.

And research published Wednesday suggested ultraprocessed foods may damage neurons in the brain and lead to early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Means said at a Senate round table event last year: 'American health is getting destroyed. If the current trends continue, if the graphs continue in the way that they're going, at best we're going to face profound societal instability and decreased American competitiveness, and at worst, we’re going to be looking at a genocidal-level health collapse.'

Means has voiced support of serving more nutritious meals in public schools and stripping dyes and additives out of the food supply, much like RFK Jr.

Dr Ednie said: 'I’ll give her credit — she’s brought attention to the impact of food and lifestyle in a way most doctors don’t.'

Additionally, Dr Sparacino noted means has 'amplified the conversation around how ultraprocessed foods contribute to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, especially in communities with limited access to fresh, affordable food.

'This is not controversial—it’s science. We need more leadership in this area, not less,' she added.

However, Dr Evans believes if Means is appointed, it will 'further erode the already fragile confidence Americans have in our public health and medical institutions.

He said: 'By elevating figures who promote pseudoscience over those with real-world clinical expertise and public service, both RFK Jr. and Donald Trump are actively undermining the foundations of evidence-based health care that Americans have long depended on and taken pride in.

'This is not leadership. It is a betrayal of the very principles that define responsible governance and public trust.'