American Public Health Association CEO on Trump's latest nominee for surgeon general

The president's new pick for surgeon general has been both supportive and critical of MAHA health policy. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Dr. Georges Benjamin, CEO of the American Public Health Association. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Now, in that 2020 book called "Make America Healthy Again," Dr. Nicole Saphier argued, quote, "we don't need socialized medicine. We need to take better care of ourselves." That's her quote. What does an experienced public health professional make of that? Dr. Georges Benjamin is the longtime CEO of the American Public Health Association and joins us now. Dr. Benjamin, good morning. GEORGES BENJAMIN: Good morning, Steve. How are you? INSKEEP: I'm doing OK. Thanks so much. So let's start with that quote. Don't need socialized medicine. We need to take better care of ourselves. What does that quote say to you? BENJAMIN: Yeah. She wants government out of her business, but the problem is, is that government needs to be in our business at some point. And she's right. We ought to take better care of ourselves, but you have to have a system that's designed to help you get there. INSKEEP: Well, let's talk that through. I mean, if we're thinking in terms of just, you know, moderation in all things, you know, a decent diet, decent exercise, that actually makes a kind of intuitive sense, and maybe the government doesn't need to be part of that. BENJAMIN: Yeah. But you have to have sidewalks. You have to have place to walk. …