Dr. Nicole Saphier, nominated as Trump’s third surgeon general, undergoes Senate questioning.
Dr. Nicole Saphier, the latest nomination for the position of U.S. Surgeon General, is set to appear before the Senate health committee on Wednesday. This nomination follows the withdrawal of earlier candidates, including Dr. Casey Means, a wellness entrepreneur, and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, amidst concerns regarding their backgrounds and views on vaccines. Saphier, a radiologist and former contributor at Fox News Channel, seeks to fill a role that not only symbolizes national health leadership but also provides a platform for communicating public health issues to Americans effectively.
As the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, Saphier holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine and has completed fellowships at the Mayo Clinic. Her nomination comes during a time of heightened scrutiny on public health officials, particularly in light of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial policies concerning vaccine guidance and public health messaging amid recent measles outbreaks. Senators from both parties are likely to probe Saphier on her stance regarding vaccination advocacy, particularly in relation to Kennedy’s efforts to reduce vaccine mandates.
Saphier has previously expressed skepticism about the necessity of administering the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a longstanding recommendation aimed at preventing serious health issues. This aligns her with certain views of the Trump administration, which has sought to reevaluate traditional vaccine protocols. However, Saphier has also diverged from Trump and Kennedy on specific topics, asserting that Trump’s comments regarding Tylenol use among pregnant women were overly simplistic.
Her most recent ethics filing, dated September 7, reveals financial interests in various healthcare and insurance firms, as well as major processed food companies like Coca-Cola and Philip Morris, a manufacturer of cigarettes. This aspect may attract critical examination from lawmakers, particularly given Kennedy’s historical criticisms of pharmaceutical and food industries contributing to the chronic disease crisis in the United States.
Additionally, Saphier’s ownership of DropRx, a company producing unregulated tinctures that include potentially harmful ingredients like kava kava root, raises further ethical questions. She has indicated that she will resign from her position with DropRx and divest from holdings that could pose conflicts of interest if confirmed.
Joining Saphier at the Senate hearing will be Chris Klomp, nominated as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Timothy Westlake, who is seeking confirmation as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. Together, they represent significant appointments in an administration focused on reshaping health policies during a tumultuous time in public health.
