Janette Nesheiwat, a Fox News medical contributor, had her nomination for U.S. surgeon general withdrawn by the White House. This move marks the second time a health-related nominee chosen by President Donald Trump has been removed from consideration by the Senate.
Two individuals familiar with the situation confirmed the withdrawal. Nesheiwat was slated to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday for her confirmation hearing. These insiders spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose a decision that had not yet been made public.
Nesheiwat currently serves as the medical director for an urgent care company in New York and has been a frequent guest on Fox News, providing medical knowledge and insights. She is an outspoken advocate of President Trump and often shares photos of their interactions on social media.
But she has recently come under criticism from Laura Loomer, a far-right ally of Trump who was instrumental in ousting several members of the president’s National Security Council. Loomer posted on X earlier this week that “we can’t have a pro-COVID vaccine nepo appointee who is currently embroiled in a medical malpractice case and who didn’t go to medical school in the US” as the surgeon general.
CBS News reported last week that Nesheiwat earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten, despite saying that she has a degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine.
The surgeon general, considered the nation’s doctor, oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats.
In March, the White House pulled from consideration the nomination of former Florida GOP Rep. Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His skepticism on vaccines had raised concerns from key Republican senators, and he withdrew after being told by the White House that he did not have enough support to be confirmed.
The withdrawal was first reported by Bloomberg News.
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