Who is Janette Nesheiwat, Trump's pick for US surgeon general?

Daughter of Jordanian immigrants has been recognised for her work in public health and humanitarian efforts

Dr Janette Nesheiwat is just the latest television personality Mr Trump has picked for a top job in his new administration. Getty Images

US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat as his surgeon general, elevating another personality from the conservative network to a top role in his coming administration.

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

Dr Nesheiwat, 43, was born in New York City to Jordanian parents. In a 2022 interview with a Nashville magazine, she spoke about being raised by her widowed mother.

“After my dad died, It was tough growing up in a family with a widowed mom who worked two-to-three jobs to ensure all five of us kids had what we needed to succeed in school and eventually give back to our community,” she told the Nashville Voyager. “Our strong Christian faith and work ethic definitely made a difference. My mom Hayat, a Jordanian immigrant, instilled in us the importance of kindness, hard work and determination.”

According to her website, Dr Nesheiwat has led medical relief missions around the globe from Haiti to Ukraine and Africa.

“Her medical career spans emergency care, family medicine, and disaster relief response, earning her recognition as a leader in public health and global humanitarian efforts,” the website states.

The Office of the Surgeon General is responsible for providing Americans with scientific information about healthcare options and how to reduce the risk of illness, and best known for issuing warnings on products such as cigarettes. Dr Nesheiwat is 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 healthcare system.

Dr Nesheiwat is just the latest television personality Mr Trump has picked for a top job in his new administration. Fox News presenter Pete Hegseth has been selected to run the Pentagon. Tulsi Gabbard is a former Fox News contributor chosen as national intelligence director. Mike Huckabee, a former Fox News host, has been picked for ambassador to Israel. And syndicated TV host Dr Oz has been tapped to run the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In a 2022 post on the platform then known as Twitter, Dr Nesheiwat joked about the quality of her Jordanian baklava.