Trump Surgeon General Nominee Discloses Investments in Tobacco and Pharmaceutical Companies
Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's surgeon general nominee, has disclosed investments in several major companies, including tobacco giant Philip Morris International and beverage giants Monster Beverage Corp, Coca-Cola Co, and Pepsi Co. She also holds stock in pharmaceutical industry leaders Eli Lilly, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, AbbVie and more.
In an ethics agreement, Saphier pledged to completely or partially divest from these companies, as well as shed her holdings with a host of other pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry leaders. This comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has made it a priority to crack down on unhealthy foods he says are partially responsible for the rise in chronic disease.
Saphier has also championed removing food additives, cutting ultra-processed foods from diets, and encouraging exercise. She is also the founder of DropRx, which sells 'physician-formulated' herbal supplements. The surgeon general nominee is director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Monmouth in New Jersey and a former Fox News contributor.
The Senate confirmation hearing for Saphier's nomination is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16. This marks the Trump administration's third attempt at filling the position after the first two nominees were withdrawn due to lack of support.