Casey Means Confronted Over Trump Executive Order on Glyphosate Production at Confirmation Hearing
President Donald Trump's nominee for surgeon general, casey means, was pressed at a confirmation hearing about the president's recent executive order encouraging increased domestic production of glyphosate — an ingredient in weedkiller — and whether that policy conflicts with her prior public statements on the chemical's health effects. The exchange highlighted sharp questions about her advocacy work, movement affiliations and how federal assessments differ from her past views.
Casey Means' exchange with Sen. Ed Markey
During the confirmation hearing, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., asked Means, described in the hearing as a wellness influencer and author, about past comments in which she linked glyphosate to cancer and whether she believes the executive order harms the health of families. Markey pressed Means to reconcile her past public statements with the president's directive, saying he was trying to help her align her earlier assertions with the current policy contrast.
What Means said about chemicals, farming and the MAHA movement
Means identified herself with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and characterized that strategy as focused on consumer protection and support for sustainable farming practices. She said the MAHA strategy would aim to protect American consumers and that the country is entering an era in which helping farmers transition to more sustainable practices will be a priority. Means framed those priorities as beneficial both for the planet and for health, and said she intends to be a champion on the issue.
Positions, affiliations and rhetoric raised in the hearing
Panel questioning noted that Means is a supporter of the MAHA movement, which largely opposes pesticides in food production, and identified her as an ally of the Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In answering substantive questions, Means expressed grave concern about the health impacts of chemicals in the food supply and said the country must move away from using toxic inputs and study those chemicals more to understand their effects. The hearing also included a broader comment from Means that health problems reflect a nation with a "broken heart" and a sense that "society [is] losing its mind, " language raised during the session to describe her perspective on public health trends.
Regulatory contrast: the Environmental Protection Agency's stance
At the hearing, panelists noted the Environmental Protection Agency's position that there is "no evidence glyphosate causes cancer in humans. " That federal stance was drawn into the exchange as senators sought to contrast Means' prior public comments with the agency assessment and with the new executive order promoting domestic production of the chemical.
Senator Markey's closing challenge and MAHA movement reaction
Markey summarized his view of the exchange by telling Means he wanted her to agree with herself, pointing out that she had made statements in the past that appear at odds with the president's recent actions. He also observed that the MAHA movement is not happy with the Trump executive order and said that is the reality, underscoring tension between Means' stated priorities and current policy direction.
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Recent updates indicate this exchange remains a focal point for senators evaluating the nominee's positions, affiliations and how they intersect with federal policy on agricultural chemicals; details may continue to be discussed as the confirmation process proceeds.
