Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Named as Trump’s Pick for HHS Secretary, Raising Concerns Over Anti-Vaccine Views
President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a move that has sparked widespread controversy and concern among public health officials and scientists.
Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer, has long been a vocal critic of vaccines, claiming they are unsafe and ineffective. His appointment to head the massive federal agency that oversees everything from drug and vaccine safety to medical research and social safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid has raised significant questions about the direction of public health policy under a potential Trump administration.
In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump praised Kennedy for his commitment to ending the “Chronic Disease epidemic” and promised that under his leadership, HHS would play a “big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”
However, many experts and health advocates have expressed alarm at the prospect of Kennedy leading HHS. Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the public health watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest, said Kennedy is “not remotely qualified for the role and should be nowhere near the science-based agencies that safeguard our nutrition, food safety, and health.”
Kennedy has a long history of promoting debunked theories about vaccines, including the discredited notion that they cause autism. He has repeatedly made his opposition to vaccines clear, stating in a podcast interview that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective” and urging people to resist CDC guidelines on childhood immunizations.
His anti-vaccine activism has not only alienated him from much of the scientific community but also from many members of his own famous family. Four of Kennedy’s 10 siblings have publicly criticized his views, calling them “dangerous” and saying he does not share the same vision, values, or judgment as their father, the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
Despite these concerns, Trump has praised Kennedy and promised him a major role overseeing public health as part of his campaign to “Make America Healthy Again.” The two have become close friends, campaigning together extensively during the final stretch of the election.
If confirmed, Kennedy’s appointment could spell a major shakeup for federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he has threatened to eliminate entire departments and fire agency employees who wage “war on public health.” He has also suggested banning fluoride in drinking water and stripping ultra-processed foods from U.S. diets.
The appointment of Kennedy as HHS secretary ends days of speculation about what health role the former independent presidential candidate-turned-Trump adviser would play in the incoming administration. Other people said to have been considered for the role included Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and Trump’s former secretary of housing and urban development, and former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who once led the state’s Department of Health and Hospitals.
Kennedy’s nomination is certain to face significant opposition from the pharmaceutical lobby and other stakeholders who rely on the predictability of FDA’s science-based rules to bring new medicines to market. Many scientists and researchers who work at the National Institutes of Health, which oversees vaccine research, are also likely to be concerned about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views and his threat to fire 600 employees at the agency.