US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), reported AP. The nomination for this top Cabinet position is subject to confirmation by the US Senate. RFK is known for his controversial public health views, his new role will now be responsible for overseeing drug and vaccine safety, food regulations, medical research, and social welfare programs. However, the US Senate must approve the nomination for this high-level Cabinet position.
“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump said in a post on X. “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.
On the contrary, Washington Senator Patty Murray, the Senate’s third-ranking Democrat, warned that confirming Kennedy would be “nothing short of a disaster for the health of millions of families,” reported AP.
Kennedy Jr., nephew of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy, is the founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the world’s largest organization focused on clean water advocacy, where he also served as chairman and attorney for many years.
RFK Jr. is known as one of the world’s leading anti-vaccine activists. He has promoted the discredited belief that vaccines cause autism, even calling vaccines a “holocaust,” and has spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
Kennedy has also recommended removing fluoride from drinking water, despite fluoride levels being regulated by state and local governments. Additionally, he has taken strong stances against processed foods and herbicides like Roundup and has been a vocal critic of large commercial farms and factory-style animal operations.
He advocates for ending the “revolving door” between government agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, where employees move between the two sectors. He has also proposed firing 600 employees from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which oversees vaccine research, and replacing them with new personnel.
Trump highlighted that protecting Americans’ safety and health is a top priority for any administration, noting that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be crucial in safeguarding people from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, drugs, and food additives contributing to the nation’s severe health crisis.
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump’s post read.
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