President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Trump, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social.
“I am pleased to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the United States,” he wrote. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the food industrial complex and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception, disinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health.”
Donald Trump Jr. also shared the news on X.
In a post on
During his presidential campaign, Kennedy developed a national profile for his criticism of Covid vaccines and childhood immunizations. He has claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, despite evidence from decades of research that has refuted such a claim.
The appointment of the 70-year-old Kennedy to head HHS ends days of speculation about what health role — if any — the former independent presidential candidate turned Trump adviser would play in the incoming administration.
Within HHS exists a family of health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Kennedy has claimed that Trump “promised” him “control over public health authorities.”
Beyond the HHS role, Kennedy would be considered for a role in tackling childhood obesity and diabetes – known as “Operation Warp Speed for Chronic Childhood Disease” – and Kennedy himself floated the idea of creating an “ health czar of the White House. .” Those roles would not have given him the authority or influence that leading HHS would provide if confirmed.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, is known for his misleading and false claims about vaccines, including repeated claims that vaccines are linked to autism, even though numerous studies in several countries have debunked the link for decades. He also founded Children’s Health Defense, a leading anti-vaccination group.
Other people reportedly considered for the role included Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and Trump’s former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who once led the Department of Health and Hospitals.
The position requires Senate confirmation.
In a statement after Trump’s announcement, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician who is the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said: “RFK Jr. has championed issues such as healthy eating and the There is a need for more transparency in our public health infrastructure.”
He continued, “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda.”
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement: “Trump’s health agenda is no secret: worse health care at higher costs for American families.” He said Kennedy’s “bizarre views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should concern all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.”
If Kennedy is confirmed, his role could mean a major shake-up for federal health agencies, including the FDA, where he has threatened to eliminate entire departments and fire department personnel waging “war on public health.”
A former acting director of the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser, was stunned by the announcement.
“I’m speechless,” Besser said. “If someone runs the Department of Health and Human Services and has been one of the biggest spreaders of vaccine misinformation, one of the biggest spreaders of public health misinformation in general, that would affect the health of people across the country endanger.”
NBC News reported Thursday that some FDA staffers are considering a quick exit if Kennedy is selected for a prominent health care role.
Kennedy has also suggested he would ban fluoride in drinking water and eliminate ultra-processed foods from American diets.
During the first administration, Trump tapped former pharmaceutical executive Alex Azar for the role of the top health agency. Azar replaced Trump’s first health secretary, Tom Price, who resigned over his use of private jets for government business, costing American taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
CNBC reported that shares of vaccine makers fell Thursday on reports that Kennedy could lead the top health agency in the US
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
