Scrubbing Her Social Media

Just days after President Donald Trump nominated former Fox News contributor and radiologist Dr. Nicole Saphier to serve as the next U.S. Surgeon General, a trail of digital footprints has quickly vanished. Saphier has deleted a series of social media posts in which she had previously criticized both the Trump administration's messaging on public health and the stances of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement.

Saphier was selected on April 30, 2026, to replace Dr. Casey Means, whose confirmation path stalled in the Senate amid sharp bipartisan questioning over her own stance on vaccines and medical experience.

However, a review of Saphier's social media presence reveals that she has been less than entirely aligned with the administration's platform in the past. Among the deleted posts:

Critique of the Tylenol Warning: Saphier had previously called out the Trump administration for delivering a "patronizing" and "simplistic" message regarding unproven claims linking Tylenol in pregnancy to autism. She had publicly noted the message was full of "hyperbole" and "painful to watch," cautioning that untreated pain and fever pose greater immediate risks to mothers.

Skepticism Toward MAHA Inner Circles: In an August post that is no longer accessible on X, Saphier appeared to take a swing at individuals around RFK Jr. whom she alleged were using their proximity to power to profit off health monitors.

Fox News Contract Termination: Following the announcement of her nomination, Saphier's biography was removed from the Fox News website, and a spokesperson confirmed her contributor contract was terminated.

Saphier now faces the challenge of navigating a delicate path on Capitol Hill. While some in the MAHA camp have expressed skepticism over her support for the childhood vaccine schedule, her background practicing at Memorial Sloan Kettering and her more mainstream medical profile are intended to win over moderate, anti-abortion-aligned senators.

As the Senate prepares for the next round of confirmation hearings, attention remains fixed on her past public comments and the sudden scrubbing of her social media accounts.