Trump Suggests He’s Getting Ready to Throw in the Towel on His Surgeon General Nominee Amid Heavy Criticism of Her Qualifications

President Donald Trump suggested, late Sunday, that he is getting ready to move on from Casey Means — his Surgeon General nominee — amid heavy criticism of her qualifications.

Speaking with reporters on board Air Force One, the president opened the door to pulling Means’s nomination.

“Are you considering withdrawing Casey Means for Surgeon General and nominating someone else?” A reporter asked.

“Well, we’re looking at a lot of different things,” Trump said. “I don’t know how she’s doing in the nomination process. I’m more focused on Iran. But, you know, something like that would be possible. We certainly have a lot of great candidates for that job.”

Earlier Sunday, Dr. Jerome Adams — who served as Surgeon General during Trump’s first term — came out strongly against Means and her credentials. Speaking with the Washington Post, Adams called out the fact that Means allowed her physician’s license to lapse and opted to become a wellness influencer.

“The irony would be the nation’s doctor wouldn’t even be in the corps as a doctor,” Adams said.

Means’s nomination has been held up in the Senate for 11 months — as Senate Republicans have expressed reservations on several of her positions, including her stance on vaccinations. While she has said vaccines are “an important part of the public health strategy,” she has stopped short of endorsing vaccinations for children on the flu and the measles, among others.

Watch above via CSPAN Networks.

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