Trump claims 'I don't know her' and 'listened to' RFK Jr about surgeon general pick getting MAGA pushback

President Donald Trump said helium does not cognize his caller nominee for U.S. surgeon general, telling reporters Thursday that helium relied upon the proposal of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump withdrew the information of his archetypal prime for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, this week and alternatively nominated Dr. Casey Means. The president, upon announcing her nomination, said she has "impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials." 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES MAHA ADVOCATE CASEY MEANS WILL BE NEW SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE

When asked Thursday astir Means and wherefore helium tapped her for the role, the president said Kennedy recommended her. 

"Because Bobby thought she was fantastic, superb pistillate who went done Stanford — wanted to beryllium world alternatively of physician," the president said. 

"I don’t cognize her, I listened to Bobby," Trump added. "I deliberation she’ll beryllium great." 

FLASHBACK: TRUMP'S SURGEON GENERAL PICK TOUTED AS 'FIERCE' MAHA ADVOCATE BEFORE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Means, a vocal "Make America Healthy Again" proponent, played a important relation successful helping signifier the administration's docket surrounding wellness alongside her brother, Calley Means. 

She has made a sanction for herself arsenic a wellness influencer alongside her brother. In 2024, some Casey and Calley co-wrote a publication astir the chronic illness epidemic titled "Good Energy," and Casey is besides the co-founder of a health-tech institution called Levels.

Calley Means was antecedently tapped by the medication to service arsenic a apical peculiar advisor to Kennedy. 

It is unclear wherefore Nesheiwat's information was pulled. Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House for much accusation and did not instantly person a response. 

Meanwhile, successful a follow-up station connected X, Nesheiwat besides said she was "looking forward" to continuing to enactment Trump portion moving intimately with Kennedy "in a elder argumentation role." 

"My absorption continues to beryllium connected improving the health and well-being of each Americans, and that ngo hasn’t changed," Nesheiwat concluded successful her nationalist societal media remarks.  

Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of precocious fired National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, whom the president indicated helium volition present beryllium nominating to beryllium the adjacent ambassador to the United Nations aft dropping his archetypal nominee, New York GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.