Dr. Casey Means Surgeon General Confirmation Hearing: Vaccines, RFK Jr., and What Comes Next
Dr. Casey Means, President Trump's surgeon general nominee and close ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced a grilling before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 ET. The long-awaited confirmation hearing delivered tense exchanges on vaccines, birth control, measles, and the MAHA agenda — with Casey Means appearing on track toward confirmation despite withering scrutiny.
Who Is Casey Means, the Surgeon General Nominee?
Means is a 38-year-old wellness influencer, bestselling author, and Stanford Medical School graduate who became an early and prominent advocate of the Make America Healthy Again movement. President Trump selected her for surgeon general in May 2025 — the same day the White House withdrew its prior nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
Means' confirmation hearing was originally scheduled for October 2025 but was postponed after she went into labor with her first child just five hours before the hearing was due to start. Her nomination subsequently expired, and Trump nominated her again on January 13, 2026. Her brother Calley Means serves as a senior adviser to Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Casey Means on Vaccines: "Vaccines Save Lives" — With Major Caveats
The Casey Means confirmation hearing's sharpest exchanges centered on vaccine policy. Means said she believes vaccines save lives, but stopped short of encouraging mothers to have their children vaccinated against measles and flu, instead repeatedly deflecting to the importance of individualized doctor-patient conversations.
When pressed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy on the debunked link between vaccines and autism — a claim promoted by Robert Kennedy Jr. — Means said she accepts the scientific evidence but added that she believes "science is never settled." Means explicitly said vaccines are not part of her core message and expressed support for Kennedy's current effort to examine environmental factors contributing to autism.
Birth Control, Raw Milk, and the MAHA Agenda Under the Microscope
Means' hearing unfolded against a politically charged backdrop, with Republican senators pressing the administration on vaccine policy changes and a measles outbreak already the largest since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States threatening to reach 1,000 cases in the near future.
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray pressed Means about past statements in which she characterized hormonal birth control as having "horrifying health risks for women" and said Americans use birth control pills "like candy." Means declined to answer directly, instead framing her position as one of informed consent and thorough doctor-patient dialogue. She did, however, confirm that oral contraception should be widely accessible.
Qualifications Controversy: Inactive Medical License and No Clinical Practice
The surgeon general nominee drew sharp criticism from the public health establishment well before setting foot in the hearing room. Means graduated from Stanford Medical School but dropped out of surgical training and no longer has an active medical license in Oregon, which she said was voluntary.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, CEO of the American Public Health Association, stated bluntly that Means is less qualified professionally than any other surgeon general in U.S. history. Means pledged to resign from her health-tech company Levels and divest all financial interests if confirmed. Levels connects continuous glucose monitors to a health tracking app and sells supplements and wellness products on her website.
Robert Kennedy Jr. Praises Casey Means as MAHA's Voice
Despite the opposition, Casey Means praised Robert Kennedy Jr.'s leadership throughout her testimony and echoed many MAHA talking points without apology. Means focused her opening statement on what she described as a national chronic disease crisis, arguing that every American shares a core yearning to thrive and that people are being asked to make healthy choices in environments structured against them.
In an unlikely moment, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Means found common ground on the issue of ultra-processed foods and corporate influence over food and pharmaceutical industries. Kennedy-aligned allies have rallied loudly in support of her nomination, framing the confirmation battle as a defining test of the MAHA movement's political staying power.
Casey Means Appears on Track for Senate Confirmation
Despite the fireworks, the surgeon general nominee appears to be moving toward confirmation. Means appears on track to be confirmed in what could be the last Senate vote on a Trump health nominee before the midterm elections. Committee chairman Sen. Cassidy tacitly acknowledged her prospects while sparring with Means, telling her, "You're presenting very well by the way, let me just compliment you."
The HELP Committee is expected to vote on advancing her nomination in the coming days. If confirmed, Casey Means would become the first surgeon general in modern history without an active medical license — a milestone that her critics say speaks volumes about the Trump administration's direction on public health.
