Trump picks RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services : NPR

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a former impartial presidential candidate who has a historical past of spreading conspiracy theories, together with about vaccines — to supervise the Division of Well being and Human Providers.

“For too lengthy, People have been crushed by the commercial meals advanced and drug firms who’ve engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation in relation to Public Well being,” Trump mentioned in a press release on Reality Social. “The Security and Well being of all People is a very powerful function of any Administration, and HHS will play a giant function in serving to be sure that everyone can be shielded from dangerous chemical substances, pollution, pesticides, pharmaceutical merchandise, and meals components which have contributed to the overwhelming Well being Disaster on this Nation. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Businesses to the traditions of Gold Commonplace Scientific Analysis, and beacons of Transparency, to finish the Continual Illness epidemic, and to Make America Nice and Wholesome Once more!”

The announcement on Thursday got here as no shock. For weeks, Trump had made clear that Kennedy would have a job in his administration.

“He will assist make America wholesome once more,” Trump mentioned of Kennedy throughout celebratory election night time remarks. “He is an incredible man and he actually means it. He desires to do some issues and we will let him go do it.”

In an interview with NPR earlier than the selection was introduced, Kennedy mentioned, “President Trump has given me three directions: He desires the corruption and the conflicts out of the regulatory businesses. He desires to return the businesses to the gold normal empirically based mostly, evidence-based science and medication that they had been as soon as well-known for. And he desires to finish the persistent illness epidemic with measurable impacts on a diminishment of persistent illness inside two years.”

If confirmed by the Senate, the function would give Kennedy the possibility to actualize a imaginative and prescient of public well being that’s typically at odds with mainstream well being and science.

Kennedy’s baseless claims have included that Wi-Fi causes most cancers and “leaky mind”; that faculty shootings are attributable to antidepressants; that chemical substances in water can result in youngsters changing into transgender; and that AIDS might not be attributable to HIV. He is additionally lengthy mentioned that vaccines trigger autism and fail to guard folks from ailments.

Within the NPR interview, Kennedy mentioned, “[O]f course, we’re not going to take vaccines away from anyone. We’re going to ensure that People have good info proper now. The science on vaccine security notably has large deficits, and we’re going to ensure these scientific research are carried out and that folks could make knowledgeable decisions about their vaccinations and their youngsters’s vaccinations.”

Even earlier than Trump’s announcement, Kennedy mentioned he would advise the incoming administration to take away fluoride from all public water — although placing small quantities of fluoride within the water provide has confirmed to have prevented cavities and improved dental well being. He additionally proposed changing 600 staff on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being.

Kennedy first challenged President Biden within the 2024 Democratic major earlier than mounting a long-shot impartial presidential bid. He suspended that marketing campaign in August and backed Trump.

Kennedy is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, the late U.S. lawyer normal, New York senator and Democratic presidential candidate, and is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. He had spent the sooner a part of his profession as an environmental lawyer greatest identified for cleansing up the Hudson River and spearheading a worldwide effort to guard waterways.

Kennedy joins a rising crop of nominees named by the president-elect whose {qualifications} have been questioned and who might face troublesome paths to affirmation, even in a 53-seat Republican-controlled Senate. It is a record that features former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz for lawyer normal and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of nationwide intelligence.

Not like Gaetz and Gabbard, nonetheless, Kennedy enjoys enthusiastic ranges of assist from a few of Trump’s most loyal senators, together with Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Johnson informed reporters Wednesday that Kennedy had been in talks with Trump to guide the well being company since across the time he dropped his personal impartial presidential bid and endorsed Trump.

“When he referred to as me up asking, for instance, his possibilities of affirmation, first phrases out of my mouth: ‘Bobby, that is the reply to my prayers,’ and I sincerely consider that,” Johnson mentioned. “I believe Bobby Kennedy can do extra working with President Trump to advance America’s well being than anyone, actually, in historical past. This might be fully game-changing.”

Senate Democrats had been fast to criticize the Kennedy choice — at the same time as they lack the votes to dam his affirmation with out GOP defections.

“Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on fundamental scientific details are disturbing and will fear all dad and mom who anticipate colleges and different public areas to be protected for his or her youngsters,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., mentioned in a press release. “When Mr. Kennedy comes earlier than the Finance Committee, it’ll be very clear what People stand to lose below Trump and Republicans in Congress.”