Trump names Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat as US surgeon general

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he was naming Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat as his surgeon general, elevating another personality from the conservative network to a top role in his incoming administration.

“Dr. Nesheiwat is a fierce advocate and strong communicator for preventive medicine and public health,” Trump said in a statement. “She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality health care, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives.”

The Office of the Surgeon General is responsible for providing Americans with scientific information about health care options and how to reduce the risk of illness, and best known for issuing warnings on products like cigarettes. She’s expected to work in the new role alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former presidential candidate who has vowed a dramatic overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

Nesheiwat joins “Fox and Friends” weekend host Pete Hegseth, who Trump selected to run the Pentagon, Tulsi Gabbard, the former Fox News contributor chosen as national intelligence director, and Mike Huckabee, a former Fox News host as top administration officials with ties to the network.

Nesheiwat led a flurry of additional senior staff hires announced by Trump on Friday, including:

—Former Congressman Dave Weldon as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency was at the center of controversies over Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

—Marty Makary, the Johns Hopkins surgeon known for questioning medical orthodoxy, was picked to run the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

—Sebastian Gorka, the conservative commentator who served briefly in Trump’s first administration before departing amid issues over his security clearance, was named as senior director for counterterrorism.

—Alex Wong, who served as Trump’s deputy special representative for North Korea, was named as the principal deputy to incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz.