Surgeon General Nominee Dr. Saphier Undergoes Senate Scrutiny

WHO:

ABC News - Dr. Nicole Saphier is a former Fox News contributor and has a Doctor of Medicine degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados, along with fellowships at the Mayo Clinic.

NPR - Dr. Nicole Saphier is a radiologist and the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey.

NPR - Chris Klomp is nominated to serve as deputy secretary of HHS.

NPR - Dr. Timothy Westlake is nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.

ABC News - Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Trump's third nominee for surgeon general.

ABC News - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is involved in contentious policies related to vaccines.

ABC News - Chris Klomp is nominated to serve as Kennedy's second-in-command.

ABC News - Timothy Westlake is seeking confirmation to be assistant secretary for mental health and substance use.

WHAT:

NBC News - Dr. Nicole Saphier stated, “I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism,” during her confirmation hearing.

NBC News - Saphier described the MMR vaccine as “our greatest tool for combating measles” in response to questioning by Sen. Bill Cassidy.

NBC News - Saphier suggested that support for vaccines is critical to fight infection and acknowledged the administration's attempts to address concerns among “the vaccine hesitant people.”

ABC News - Saphier's latest ethics filing shows she will resign from her position with Empower MD LLC if confirmed.

ABC News - Saphier's latest ethics filing shows holdings with various healthcare and insurance firms, as well as processed food companies, including Coca-Cola, Yum Brands, the Hershey Co., and Philip Morris.

Fox News - Saphier told senators she does not believe the MMR vaccine is lethal.

CNN - Saphier has nearly 360,000 followers on X and 147,000 followers on Instagram, where she identifies as a “full time wife, mom and doctor.”

CNN - Saphier's products from DropRx are currently unavailable online, with some selling for $24.99 for 2 fluid ounces.

NPR - America has not had a surgeon general since President Biden left office in January 2025.

ABC News - Dr. Nicole Saphier will face a confirmation hearing before the Senate health committee.

ABC News - Saphier is the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth.

ABC News - Saphier's latest ethics filing shows holdings with various healthcare and insurance firms, as well as processed food companies.

ABC News - Saphier owns DropRx, a firm producing unregulated tinctures that may cause severe liver injury.

CNN - Saphier has nearly 360,000 followers on X and 147,000 followers on Instagram.

WHERE:

ABC News - The confirmation hearing will take place in Washington, D.C.

ABC News - Saphier is associated with Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New York.

WHEN:

ABC News - The confirmation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

ABC News - Saphier's latest ethics filing is dated Sept. 7.

WHY:

NPR - Saphier's nomination follows the withdrawal of Dr. Casey Means and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat due to stalled progress in the Senate over their backgrounds and vaccine views.

ABC News - Saphier's nomination follows the withdrawal of Dr. Casey Means due to stalled progress in the Senate over her background and vaccine views.

ABC News - Saphier has questioned the necessity of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, reflecting the Trump administration's attempts to weaken longstanding vaccine recommendations.

HOW:

NBC News - Saphier was questioned about whether she would follow unlawful orders by the president or Kennedy, to which she responded that she would follow the law.

ABC News - Saphier states in her ethics filing that she will resign from her position with DropRx and Empower MD LLC if confirmed.

CNN - Saphier stated on her podcast that the surgeon general needs to effectively communicate with the public and gain respect from both the American people and the administration.

ABC News - Saphier states she will resign from her position with DropRx if confirmed.

ABC News - Saphier indicates she would partially or fully divest from holdings that present a conflict of interest in serving as surgeon general.

(UPDATED September 17, 2026 04:00 UTC)

During her confirmation hearing, Dr. Nicole Saphier stated, “I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism,” and emphasized the importance of the MMR vaccine as “our greatest tool for combating measles” when questioned by Senator Bill Cassidy. Saphier also highlighted the necessity of supporting vaccines to combat infections and acknowledged the administration's efforts to address concerns from those hesitant about vaccinations. Additionally, her latest ethics filing reveals that she plans to resign from her position with Empower MD LLC if confirmed.

(UPDATED September 16, 2026 20:04 UTC)

Dr. Nicole Saphier, a physician with a degree from Ross University and fellowships at the Mayo Clinic, has recently submitted her ethics filing revealing holdings in several healthcare and insurance firms, as well as processed food companies like Coca-Cola and Hershey. In her testimony to senators, Saphier expressed her belief that the MMR vaccine is not lethal, a statement that comes after the withdrawal of other nominees due to concerns about their backgrounds and vaccine views. If confirmed, Saphier has stated she will resign from her roles at DropRx and Empower MD LLC.

(UPDATED September 16, 2026 16:02 UTC)

Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New Jersey, has been nominated to serve as the next surgeon general following the withdrawal of Dr. Casey Means and Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. In her podcast, Saphier emphasized the importance of the surgeon general effectively communicating with the public and earning respect from both the American people and the administration. Additionally, Chris Klomp has been nominated to serve as deputy secretary of HHS, while Dr. Timothy Westlake is nominated for assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.

(UPDATED September 16, 2026 13:07 UTC)

Dr. Nicole Saphier has been nominated by Trump to be the next surgeon general and will face a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Saphier, who is the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth in New York, has raised concerns due to her financial ties to various healthcare firms and her ownership of DropRx, a company producing unregulated tinctures. In light of her nomination, Saphier has pledged to resign from DropRx and divest from any holdings that could pose a conflict of interest if she is confirmed.