Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Trump's new pick for the role

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams about President Trump's latest nominee for the role, Dr. Nicole Saphier. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: All right. Let's get a view from a former surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams, who served in that role during President Trump's first term. He's on the line from our state of Indiana. Dr. Adams, welcome. JEROME ADAMS: Good morning. Good to be with you, Steve. INSKEEP: I want people to know you were publicly critical of Dr. Casey Means, the previous nominee. How did the credentials of Nicole Saphier - Dr. Saphier compare? ADAMS: Well, she is at least a practicing physician who has a active medical license, so she meets the minimum criteria. But it's important to note that the nominations have evolved with the political and, I think, public health mood. Dr. Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, family physician with a Caribbean medical degree, wellness influencer, was the first nominee but was withdrawn in spring 2025 because she wasn't MAHA enough. Dr. Means was nominated, and she aligns much more with MAHA and RFK. But we see exploding measles cases and, again, a - more of a focus on having someone in the role who actually has credentials. Dr. Saphier, as you mentioned, is a practicing radiologist at Sloan Kettering, Fox News contributor, Caribbean medical degree, wellness influencer - actually very similar to Dr. Nesheiwat. …