 "Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump shakes hands with former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr during a rally in Glendale, Arizona. File Image / Reuters")
Another former Democrat will be joining the upcoming government of President-elect Donald Trump. On Thursday, Trump announced that he would nominate the former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in his administration.
The anti-vaccine activist contested the 2024 presidential race as an independent candidate and later dropped out to endorse Trump in his battle against US Vice President Kamala Harris. Kennedy was in the running to lead the Health Department for the longest time and the Senate will not confirm his appointment to assume the role next year. This will be a smooth sailing task for Trump since the Republicans have flipped the Senate in the 2024 electoral race.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Americans had “for too long” been “crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health."
“Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” he added.
Kennedy’s nomination raises eyebrows
The 70-year-old politician is a trained environmental lawyer and son of the former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He is the nephew of erstwhile President John F. Kennedy and is known for his problematic anti-vaccine stance.
“Donald Trump’s selection of a notorious anti-vaxxer to lead HHS could not be more dangerous – this is cause for deep concern for every American,” wrote Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat of Washington state, on X. Murray insisted that the move could “set America back in terms of public health, reproductive rights, research, and more”.
After Kennedy endorsed Trump, the President-elect called him a “great guy” who would “make America healthy again.” However, shortly after the polls, Trump’s transition co-chair Howard Lutnick told CNN that Kennedy was “not getting a job for HHS”. The political scion became one of Trump’s top surrogates during the campaign, which came as a surprise to many since he came from a famous Democratic dynasty.
Over the years, he became well-known for his anti-vaccine beliefs and embrace of other conspiracy theories around health and wellness issues. In the past, Trump mentioned that he would lead Kennedy to “go wild on food” and “go wild on medicines” if re-elected. The former president also hinted at wanting him to take care of women’s health.
In the past Kennedy stirred major headlines after he claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism, a theory scientists have debunked. Earlier this month, the former lawyer went on to declare on X that he would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in the office.
He referred to fluoride as “industrial waste,” which is linked to a variety of health conditions. However, several health groups have rejected Kennedy’s claim, insisting fluoride is safe. Following the election victory, Trump made it clear that his administration “is not going to take vaccines away from anybody,” he told NPR in an interview.
According to NBC News, while Kennedy’s name was floating, some staff members at the Food and Drug Administration were considering a quick exit should Kennedy be selected for a prominent health role. Not only this, shares of vaccine makers Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax tumbled after news of Trump’s decision was first reported.
The scandal-ridden political scion
Kennedy has been marred by bizarre scandals throughout his political career as well. Earlier this year, he revealed that part of his brain had been eaten by a worm and admitted to staging a dead bear corpse in Central Park as the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
During the 2024 election cycle, Kennedy was also allegedly having an affair with an American journalist, sparking questions about his marriage. However, some lauded Trump’s decision. Bill Cassidy, the Republican Louisiana senator and incoming chair of the Senate’s Health, education, labour and pensions committee, laid out praises for Kennedy.
“RFK Jr has championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure. I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda,” he said,
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, expressed scepticism that Kennedy was the right choice. “Is RFK Jr the best-qualified person in the United States of America to lead us forward as we grapple with an enormous amount of health challenges in this country? The answer is clearly he is not,” he told Politico.
With inputs from agencies.