President Trump Nominates Candidates for Surgeon General and CDC Director
Published May 18, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations
Federal Policy OME Advocate
- On April 30, 2026, President Trump selected Nicole Saphier, MD, as his nominee for U.S. Surgeon General after withdrawing the nomination of Casey Means, MD. Dr. Saphier is a practicing radiologist and former medical contributor for Fox News.
- On April 16, 2026, the President announced his nomination of Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The position has been unfilled since August 2025, while NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya has served in an interim capacity. A retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Schwartz previously held the role of Deputy Surgeon General from 2019 to 2021.