Casey Means out as Trump's nominee for surgeon general: Who's her replacement?

President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of Casey Means to serve as U.S. surgeon general after her confirmation stalled in the Senate. 

Trump, who blamed one GOP senator for blocking Means’ confirmation, announced a new nominee for surgeon general on Thursday. Here’s the latest: 

Why did Trump withdraw Casey Means’ nomination? 

What they're saying:

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Means’ nomination has been derailed by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Cassidy, a physician, has been a vocal critic of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and his anti-vaccine policies, despite Cassidy voting in favor of Kennedy’s confirmation.

"I nominated Casey, a strong MAHA Warrior, at the recommendation of Secretary Kennedy, who understands the MAHA Movement better than anyone, with perhaps the possible exception of ME!" Trump wrote. "Nevertheless, despite Senator Cassidy’s intransigence and political games, Casey will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important Health issues facing our Country, such as the rising childhood disease epidemic, increased autism rates, poor nutrition, over-medicalization, and researching the root causes of infertility, and many other difficult medical problems. Casey, thank you for your service to our Nation!"

Dig deeper:

Cassidy wasn’t the only lawmaker to question Means’ stance on vaccines and other health issues: Senators of both major political parties grilled Means during a tense confirmation hearing, deepening doubts about her ability to secure the votes she needs for the role.

RELATED: Casey Means faces hearing as Trump’s pick for surgeon general

Means, a 38-year-old Stanford-educated physician who became disillusioned with traditional medicine and did not finish her surgical residency program, has faced scrutiny for her lack of experience and potential conflicts. Another sticking point has been her close alignment with Kennedy, whose efforts to dramatically pull back vaccine recommendations have been slammed by lawmakers and medical groups.

Who is Trump’s new surgeon general nominee? 

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump announced that he’s nominating Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist who serves as director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Monmouth, New Jersey. She’s also a frequent Fox News contributor. 

"Nicole is a STAR physician who has spent her career guiding women facing breast cancer through their diagnosis and treatment while tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention, while at the same time working with men and women on all other forms of cancer diagnoses and treatments," Trump wrote. "She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.