Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be poised to play a key health care role in the next administration if Donald Trump is re-elected, according to two people close to the campaign and familiar with the plans.
The current thinking is that the former independent candidate’s role would be spearheading what one of the people described as the “Operation Warp Speed for chronic childhood diseases,” referring to the title of the Covid vaccine development project during Trump’s first term.
Kennedy is known for his criticism of the Covid vaccine and other immunizations.
For example, Kennedy has repeatedly claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, even though numerous studies in various countries have debunked this link for decades. Concerns about a possible link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine have persisted for years after a now-retracted 1998 article claimed a link.
There is significant common ground between the Trump campaign and Kennedy on preventing conditions such as obesity and diabetes in children, a person familiar with the plans said, emphasizing that the plans are still fluid and that there is nothing has been decided yet.
Obesity and diabetes are major problems in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects nearly 15 million children; thousands of children and teenagers have type 2 diabetes, a condition linked to obesity, and the number is increasing. During their campaigns, both Trump and Kennedy launched a “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an open critic of Kennedy, said that despite the missteps, “Operation Warp Speed” was “the administration’s greatest achievement” during Trump’s term.
However, he wasn’t sure how Warp Speed would apply to chronic childhood illnesses – or in what way Kennedy would be helpful.
“I think his science denial makes him the wrong person for any kind of progress,” Offit said.
In an interview Wednesday, former CDC Director Robert Redfield compared the project to President John. F. Kennedy’s promise to set foot on the moon.
“He didn’t know how it would work, but he believed it was possible and he made it happen,” Redfield told NBC News. “Sometimes seeing the possible, being a leader and leading the nation into action can make things that many people think are not possible become reality.”
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also emphasized that there are still “no formal decisions” on positions in a potential administration, but that Trump “has said he will work with passionate voices like RFK Jr. will work to make America healthy again by providing families with safe food and ending the chronic disease epidemic plaguing our children,” referring to type 2 diabetes.
“President Trump will also create a special presidential commission of independent minds and charge them with investigating the cause of the decades-long increase in chronic diseases,” she added.
Kennedy recently claimed that Trump promised him “control of public health agencies,” including the Department of Health and Human Services and its subagencies — the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. He will also be appointed to the Department of Agriculture, Kennedy claimed, “which, you know, is the key to making America healthy.”
That’s not off-base, according to one of the people familiar with the planning. If the plan goes through, Kennedy’s mandate would be a “government project” and allow him to pool the resources of all these agencies for chronic childhood diseases. How the project would be paid for is unclear, although ‘Operation Warp Speed’ – which ran between May 2020 and February 2021 – had a budget of as much as $18 billion for Covid vaccine development, funded by the private sector and the US taxpayers. .
In a statement to NBC News, Kennedy said he was grateful to the former president “for his commitment to ending the chronic disease epidemic that now affects 50% of our children.”
“I stand ready to help him rid public health agencies of their widespread conflict and corruption and restore their tradition of gold standard, evidence-based science,” he said.
Kennedy could also be interested in leading an agency like HHS or CDC, but that would require Senate approval, which could be an uphill battle depending on the partisan breakdown in the chamber after Election Day.
Drew Altman, the CEO of KFF, a nonpartisan group that researches health policy issues, said Kennedy’s anti-vaccination views and other past controversial positions could pose a problem there.
“I’m sure they want to avoid a spectacle in the Senate and an ugly confirmation process,” he said.
What remains to be determined, Altman said, is how much — if any — of the authority the Warp Speed role would give Kennedy to command agencies like the FDA or CDC. The role, the source said, would be appointed by the president and would not require congressional approval. Altman was skeptical.
“It allows them to give him a position, a position they promised him, as a reward for the number of votes they received by welcoming him into the fold, but without any real power or authority for a large agency or department,” Altman said.
Kennedy is already meeting public health leaders from Trump’s world. This includes former HHS Secretary Eric Hargan and former CDC Director Robert Redfield – an unlikely alliance considering Kennedy attacked Redfield several times in his book.
Redfield, a former HIV researcher, led the CDC during the early days of the pandemic and was often criticized for missteps, including controversial Covid testing guidelines.
Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick also praised Kennedy in an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening and questioned whether vaccines are safe.
Kennedy is also making the rounds with state agriculture leaders such as Sidney Miller of Texas, as food will be a central focus for this potential venture. According to one source, famed Kennedy ally Russell Brand has also been involved in some meetings and conversations. Brand, the comedic actor turned wellness influencer, has been accused of sexual abuse by four women, allegations he has denied. Addiction and how it affects children and families is expected to be another top priority, which is a pet issue for Brand, who is himself in recovery.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
