President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, a breast imaging specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to serve as the next U.S. Surgeon General.

In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Saphier as a "STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention." He described her as an "INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR" who simplifies complex health issues and said she will help "MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN."

The nomination comes after Trump withdrew his second pick, Dr. Casey Means, whose confirmation process stalled in the Senate. Means, a wellness advocate linked to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and sister of an adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced bipartisan opposition over her inactive medical license, unfinished surgical residency and skepticism toward certain vaccines, including the hepatitis B shot for newborns. Trump criticized Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for "intransigence and political games," noting Cassidy's reelection challenges.

Saphier is Trump's third nominee for the role, often called the nation's doctor. His first choice, former Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was pulled amid questions about her credentials. The position has remained vacant during much of Trump's second term.

A radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering's Monmouth facility, Saphier is also an associate professor at Weill Cornell Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados, completed a radiology residency in Arizona, and a fellowship at Mayo Clinic. She served as a Fox News medical contributor from 2018 until her contract ended following the nomination announcement.

Saphier has authored the 2020 book Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis, which critiques government involvement in healthcare, the Affordable Care Act, and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic for prioritizing politics over science. She has opposed mask and vaccine mandates, questioned COVID booster requirements, and expressed caution on policies like ending mandatory flu shots for service members, emphasizing evidence-based decisions. Saphier supports the MAHA initiative and serves on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women.

The nomination now heads to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for review. No immediate reactions from senators were available, though Means's brother blamed Cassidy for the prior delays. Saphier's clinical experience and media presence may smooth her path compared to Means.