Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims he’ll be given control of public health agencies if Trump wins the presidency, raising eyebrows and concerns across the medical community.
At a Glance
- RFK Jr. endorses Trump, launches “Make America Healthy Again” campaign
- Trump suggests giving Kennedy significant influence over health policies
- Kennedy known for anti-vaccination stance and promoting disproven Covid-19 treatments
- Concerns raised about potential impact on national health policy
Trump Makes Promise to RFK Jr.
Late during the campaign season, President-elect Donald Trump made a promise to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was at the time still running for president as an independent. He said that if RFK Jr. stopped his run, Trump would give him a place in at least his transition team — heading up some part of the health sector. Now that Trump has won the White House, Kennedy is set to play a big role in the future of health in the country — as a man who has publicly called into question the legitimacy of vaccines.
Kennedy has said that Trump promised to give him control of public health agencies. This is a man, too, who has been critical of vaccines in the past, saying there’s a direct link between them and autism — even though science has never proven that.
Make America Healthy Again?
Kennedy has already launched a “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, and his focus is on chronic diseases. In theory, that sounds great, but the question is what tactics will he use during his campaign? He has often railed against vaccines in the past, which has worried some people now that he may be in charge of a lot of health issues.
As Trump himself said last weekend:
“I’m going to let him go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on the medicines.”
Trump was quick to note, however, during his acceptance speech this week that Kennedy is going to be kept away from some other issues, such as energy.
Medical Experts Sound Alarm
It’s no surprise that medical experts are worried about what might happen here. Jerome Adams, who served as the surgeon general during the first Trump administration, warned of potential negative impacts on public health if Kennedy has significant influence.
“If RFK has a significant influence on the next administration, that could further erode people’s willingness to get up to date with recommended vaccines, and I am worried about the impact that could have on our nation’s health, on our nation’s economy, on our global security,” he said.
Kennedy Says It’s ‘Pro-Choice,’ Not Anti-Vaccine
Kennedy did quell some concerns this week when he said he wasn’t anti-vaccine but rather “pro-choice” when it comes to them. He said he’s “not going to take away anybody’s vaccines.”
Instead, he said:
“People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information.”
That’s a line that most people could accept, but we’ll have to see whether it’s actually true and he sticks to what he just said.
The Bottom Line
For now, Trump seems keen to give Kennedy at least some control over health in the country. How much control is yet to be seen, and it’s also uncertain how long that control will last.
Maybe cooler heads will prevail, and either Kennedy will back off some of his extreme claims, or Trump will decide not to hand the full reins over to him.