Casey Means, the nominee for surgeon general under President Trump, has missed a Senate confirmation hearing due to going into labor. The postponement of her hearing is a welcome move for critics who have raised concerns about her lack of medical expertise and potential conflicts of interest.
Means' absence from the political arena is not an isolated incident. Her brother, Calley Means, also left his role as a special government employee at the White House without being officially announced by the administration. This departure has been confirmed by The New York Times, which reported that Calley was part of the Trump administration's "Special Government Employee" program with a 130-day term limit.
The Special Government Employee designation has been criticized for allowing powerful individuals to avoid financial transparency and anti-corruption restraints. Public Citizen Democracy Advocate Jon Golinger welcomed Means' departure, stating that it marks an end to the administration's abuse of this program.
Means herself is a health expert with a degree from Stanford Medical School, but she dropped out of her residency without obtaining an active medical license or board certification. Her work focuses on "functional" medicine, which is an ill-defined form of alternative medicine. Critics have sharply criticized her nomination to the role of surgeon general, citing concerns about her lack of credibility and potential conflicts of interest.
Means' wellness company, Truemed, has benefited from tax-advantaged medical spending under the Trump administration's plans. The company enables users to invest pre-tax dollars in unproven wellness interventions, including cold plunges, red light therapy, and supplements.
The criticism of Means' nomination has been echoed by health experts, who have urged lawmakers to reject her "quackery." Defend Public Health released a statement expressing concerns about the qualifications of the nominee for surgeon general. The organization's member, physician Oni Blackstock, stated that the US Surgeon General must be someone Americans can trust to provide credible advice based on solid science and real data, not a charlatan who sells expensive, unproven tests and treatments.
Means' departure from the White House and her missed Senate confirmation hearing have been seen as positive developments for those who question her fitness for the role of surgeon general.
Means' absence from the political arena is not an isolated incident. Her brother, Calley Means, also left his role as a special government employee at the White House without being officially announced by the administration. This departure has been confirmed by The New York Times, which reported that Calley was part of the Trump administration's "Special Government Employee" program with a 130-day term limit.
The Special Government Employee designation has been criticized for allowing powerful individuals to avoid financial transparency and anti-corruption restraints. Public Citizen Democracy Advocate Jon Golinger welcomed Means' departure, stating that it marks an end to the administration's abuse of this program.
Means herself is a health expert with a degree from Stanford Medical School, but she dropped out of her residency without obtaining an active medical license or board certification. Her work focuses on "functional" medicine, which is an ill-defined form of alternative medicine. Critics have sharply criticized her nomination to the role of surgeon general, citing concerns about her lack of credibility and potential conflicts of interest.
Means' wellness company, Truemed, has benefited from tax-advantaged medical spending under the Trump administration's plans. The company enables users to invest pre-tax dollars in unproven wellness interventions, including cold plunges, red light therapy, and supplements.
The criticism of Means' nomination has been echoed by health experts, who have urged lawmakers to reject her "quackery." Defend Public Health released a statement expressing concerns about the qualifications of the nominee for surgeon general. The organization's member, physician Oni Blackstock, stated that the US Surgeon General must be someone Americans can trust to provide credible advice based on solid science and real data, not a charlatan who sells expensive, unproven tests and treatments.
Means' departure from the White House and her missed Senate confirmation hearing have been seen as positive developments for those who question her fitness for the role of surgeon general.
I gotta say, this whole situation with Casey Means is wild! Like, can't we just get a straight shooter in there who's actually qualified to advise on our health? 
She dropped out of med school without getting a license or certification and now she's supposed to be leading the country's public health efforts? 
It's just not adding up.
I'm glad Public Citizen Democracy Advocate Jon Golinger is calling her out on it because this whole thing reeks of cronyism.
That's just code for pseudoscience and a bunch of hooey. And to think, our nation's surgeon general could be perpetuating all that nonsense if they hadn't bailed out of this nomination? 
Good riddance, I say! 
But seriously, it's kinda suspicious that Casey Means' brother Calley just dropped off without anyone announcing it. That whole "Special Government Employee" program sounds like a total loophole fest to me 
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Not cool, not cool at all. And that wellness company of hers, Truemed? It sounds like a total scam to me 
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I mean, is it really that hard to fact-check someone's credentials before putting them in such a high-profile role? 
anyway Truemed is this wellness company she started that gets to benefit from trump's tax plans and it's just sketchy how they're investing pre-tax dollars in unproven stuff like cold plunges and red light therapy 
it's like they're realizing that maybe they should've done a thorough vetting process before moving forward with this nomination 
she got her med degree from Stanford but dropped out of residency without getting a proper license 
i mean, who needs to invest pre-tax dollars in unproven wellness stuff? that's just not cool 
anyhoo, glad she's stepping down and hopefully this clears up some red flags for the surgeon general role 
fingers crossed they find someone way more qualified 
. And let's be real, her company, Truemed, sounds like something out of a bad infomercial - pre-tax dollars for unproven wellness interventions? Give me a break 
. At least now the Senate gets to skip the charade and do some real vetting of the nominee's qualifications before making a decision 
. I mean, come on, a little baby is always gonna get in the way when it comes to politics! But seriously, this whole thing just goes to show how easily these politicians can be swayed by special interests and personal agendas.
. i mean, i get why they wanted to avoid any more scrutiny, but still, it feels like a bit of a cop-out? and honestly, i'm not gonna lie, the idea of a "special government employee" program that lets people just waltz in and out without any real oversight is kinda sketchy 
. But at the same time, I feel bad for Casey Means... giving birth is never easy and she shouldn't be penalized for that 
. Maybe now's a good chance for someone else with real medical expertise to step up and show us what they're made of 
She drops out of residency without a license or board cert'fication... that's not exactly what you'd call medical expertise 
And don't even get me started on her wellness company Truemed - it sounds like some sketchy stuff going on over there 
. And then there's her brother Calley, who just disappears from his role at the White House without anyone noticing 
. We need someone who's actually qualified to lead our health efforts, not some snake oil salesman trying to make a quick buck 
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I'm loving this move by Casey Means to step down, fam! Like, I get it, life happens, but it's just a major bummer that she had to skip out on that Senate hearing 
Like Public Health released a statement saying the nominee needs to be someone Americans can trust with solid science and real data, not some quack who's trying to sell us a bill of goods 
she's got a wellness company making bank off tax-advantaged spending on unproven treatments and supplements... sounds like more quackery to me 
Anyway, I'm glad she dropped out of her residency without a license, that's one less "qualified" person in the mix 
, it's about time someone in power recognizes the flaws in that Special Government Employee program 
. And let's not forget her wellness company making bank off tax-advantaged medical spending