Dr. Nicole Saphier Faces Senate Grilling as Trump's Third Surgeon General Nominee
The radiologist and former Fox News contributor will navigate public health communication and potential conflicts of interest during her confirmation hearing.
Dr. Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's third nominee for surgeon general, is set to appear before lawmakers for her confirmation hearing. Saphier, a radiologist and former contributor to Fox News Channel, aims to fill the post known as the nation's doctor. Trump's previous nominees faced setbacks; entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means encountered stalled progress in the Senate due to concerns about her background and views on vaccines, while the first nominee, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, had her nomination withdrawn following questions about her academic credentials.
The position of surgeon general carries limited policymaking authority but serves as a primary communicator on public health issues. Saphier is expected to face scrutiny regarding her qualifications and background. Additionally, she will need to address potentially contentious policies of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., particularly concerning vaccine guidance amidst alarming measles outbreaks nationwide. Lawmakers from both parties have previously criticized Kennedy's stances, and Saphier is likely to be questioned on her commitment to advocating for vaccination if confirmed.
Saphier currently serves as the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth. Her credentials include a doctor of medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados and fellowships completed at the Mayo Clinic.
Similar to Dr. Means, Saphier has expressed reservations about the recommendation that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a recommendation the Trump administration has sought to modify. However, Saphier has also diverged from Trump and Kennedy on certain issues. In a previous interview with The Associated Press, she described Trump's warnings to pregnant women about Tylenol use as overly simplistic and "patronizing."
Saphier's ethics filing, dated September 7, reveals investments in various healthcare and insurance companies, as well as processed food corporations such as Coca-Cola, Yum Brands, and the Hershey Co., along with tobacco company Philip Morris. This comes as Health Secretary Kennedy has been a vocal critic of large pharmaceutical and insurance companies, citing alleged corruption, and has linked ultraprocessed foods to the nation's chronic disease epidemic.
Furthermore, Saphier is the owner of DropRx, a company that produces unregulated tinctures containing ingredients, including kava kava root, which the FDA has identified as potentially harmful to the liver. Saphier has stated in her filing that she will resign from DropRx and its parent company, Empower MD LLC, if confirmed. She also indicated an intention to divest from holdings that could present a conflict of interest with the role of surgeon general.
Also appearing before the Senate will be Chris Klomp, nominated as deputy chief of staff for the Health and Human Services Department, and Timothy Westlake, seeking confirmation as assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.