Washington: President-elect Donald Trump plans to appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, positioning a well-known vaccine skeptic at the top of the nation’s expansive public health system.
Kennedy, a prominent member of a storied Democratic family, gained recognition as an environmental attorney, famously taking on major corporations like DuPont and Monsanto.
However, over the past two decades, he has become increasingly known for promoting vaccine-related claims that clash with the scientific consensus.
If confirmed Kennedy would head a major federal department responsible for critical health policies, including drug, vaccine, and food safety, medical research, and programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Before the election, Trump vowed to give Kennedy significant authority over health policy.
Kennedy, the son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, comes from one of the most influential political families in American history. He initially challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent campaign. Eventually, Kennedy struck a deal with the Republican Party, endorsing Trump and securing a promise to lead the health portfolio in Trump’s upcoming administration.
Kennedy’s alignment with Trump has earned him substantial support from the Republican base, a level of enthusiasm he never enjoyed from his former Democratic peers.
His strong stance against vaccines has distanced him from much of his family, but he and Trump have developed a close bond, campaigning together extensively in the closing days of the election. Trump has committed to appointing Kennedy as a key figure in his efforts to “Make America Healthy Again.”
Despite insisting that he is not anti-vaccine, Kennedy’s public statements and leadership of the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense tell a different story.
He has often questioned vaccine safety, once stating on a podcast that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective” and encouraging resistance to CDC vaccination guidelines for children.
Kennedy has also vowed to overhaul HHS, scrutinizing the staff at agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He has pledged to address what he describes as a “revolving door” between government agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. According to his campaign’s communications manager, Del Bigtree, Kennedy intends to root out conflicts of interest that he believes undermine public trust in health policies.
With inputs from AP
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