NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he’ll nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to steer the Division of Well being and Human Companies, placing him accountable for an enormous company that oversees every thing from drug security , vaccines and meals to medical analysis and the social security internet applications Medicare and Medicaid.
“For too lengthy, Individuals have been crushed by the meals industrial advanced and pharmaceutical firms which have engaged in deception and misinformation relating to public well being.” Trump mentioned Thursday in a publish on his Reality Social website asserting the appointment. Kennedy mentioned, “finish the continual illness epidemic” and “Make America Nice and Wholesome Once more!”
Kennedy is without doubt one of the world's most distinguished anti-vaccine activists and has lengthy proposed the debunked concept that vaccines trigger autism and different well being issues.
Trump additionally introduced Thursday that he has chosen Doug Collins, a former congressman from Georgia, to steer the Division of Veterans Affairs. Collins is a chaplain for the US Air Pressure Reserve Command. The Republican served in Congress from 2013 to 2021 and helped defend Trump throughout his first impeachment trial.
Hailing from one of many nation's most well-known political households, Kennedy is the son of the late Lawyer Common Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He first challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination final yr. He then ran as an unbiased earlier than dropping his candidacy after reaching a deal to present Trump his endorsement with a promise to play a job in overseeing well being coverage in a second Trump administration.
Since then, he and the president-elect have turn into good pals. The 2 campaigned extensively collectively in the course of the ultimate stretch of the race, and Trump had made clear that he supposed to present Kennedy a significant function in overseeing public well being as a part of a marketing campaign to “Make America Wholesome Once more.”
“I’m going to let him go loopy about well being.” Trump mentioned at a rally final month.
Throughout his victory speech in Palm Seaside, Florida, final week, Trump exclaimed: “Go have a very good time, Bobby!”
Nonetheless, it was unclear precisely what job he could be supplied. In an October interview on CNN, Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick claimed there was no means Kennedy would get the job he obtained.
The appointment set off alarm bells amongst public well being consultants.
“Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., just isn’t remotely certified for the place and shouldn’t be wherever close to the science-based businesses that safeguard our vitamin, meals safety and well being.” mentioned Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the general public well being watchdog group Heart for Science within the Public Curiosity.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, advised The Related Press: “I don't need to return and see kids or adults endure or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work, and that's why I'm involved.”
“Any misinformation coming from locations of affect, of energy, is worrying” she mentioned.
Throughout the marketing campaign, Kennedy advised NewsNation that Trump had requested him to “reorganize” businesses, together with the CDC, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, and the Meals and Drug Administration.
Kennedy has lobbied towards processed meals and using herbicides such because the Roundup herbicide. He has lengthy criticized the massive industrial farms and animal feeding operations that dominate the business.
However he’s maybe greatest identified for his criticism of childhood vaccines.
Time and time once more, Kennedy has made his opposition to vaccines clear. In July, he mentioned in a podcast interview that “There isn’t a vaccine that’s protected and efficient” and advised FOX Information that he nonetheless believes within the long-debunked concept that vaccines may cause autism.
In a 2021 podcast, he urged individuals to “resist” CDC tips advise when kids ought to obtain routine vaccines.
“I see somebody on a mountain climbing path holding a child and I say, 'Higher not vaccinate him.'” Kennedy mentioned.
Repeated scientific research in the USA and overseas have discovered no hyperlink between vaccines and autism. Vaccines have been proven to be protected and efficient in laboratory exams and in real-world use in lots of of hundreds of thousands of individuals for many years. The World Well being Group credit childhood vaccines with stopping as much as 5 million deaths a yr.
Trump throughout his first time period launched Operation Warp Velocity, an effort to speed up the manufacturing and distribution of a vaccine to fight COVID-19. The ensuing vaccines are extensively credited, together with by Trump himself, with saving many lives.
Trump, in his announcement, mentioned that underneath Kennedy, HHS “They play an vital function in serving to be certain that everybody is protected against the dangerous chemical compounds, contaminants, pesticides, prescription drugs and meals components which have contributed to the overwhelming well being disaster on this nation.” However HHS doesn’t have jurisdiction over a lot of these points, that are the accountability of the Environmental Safety Company and the Division of Agriculture.
Kennedy is a lawyer who has constructed a loyal following over a number of many years of people that admire his lawsuits towards main pharmaceutical and pesticide firms. He has pushed for stricter laws on meals elements.
With the Trump marketing campaign, he labored to shore up help amongst younger moms specifically, together with his message of constructing meals more healthy within the U.S., promising to mannequin laws after these imposed in Europe. In a nod to Trump's authentic marketing campaign slogan, he named the trouble “Make America Wholesome Once more.”
It's not but clear how that may sq. with Trump's historical past of deregulating huge industries, together with meals. Trump has pushed for fewer inspections within the meat business, for instance.
Kennedy's stance on vaccines raises questions on his capability to be confirmed, even in a GOP-controlled Senate.
He has additionally mentioned he would advocate eradicating fluoride from consuming water, though fluoride ranges are required by state and native governments. The addition of the fabric has been cited as bettering dental well being and is taken into account protected at low ranges.
He has mentioned he would search to ban sure meals components, cracking down on substances similar to meals dyes and preservatives, that are regulated by the Meals and Drug Administration. It has additionally centered on pesticides, that are collectively regulated by the Environmental Safety Company and the FDA.
Kennedy has additionally made headlines for his historical past with wild animals. He admitted to dumping a useless bear in New York's Central Park (putting it as if it had been hit by a bicycle) and was the topic of a federal investigation after his daughter revealed that he had lower off the pinnacle of a beached whale and brought it to himself. tied. to the roof of his automobile to take him dwelling.
HHS has greater than 80,000 staff nationwide. Kennedy has promised to take a severe have a look at those that work for HHS and its businesses, together with the Meals and Drug Administration, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and the CDC.
He has mentioned that he’s particularly centered on ending the “revolving door” from staff who’ve a historical past working for pharmaceutical firms or who left authorities service to work for that business, his former marketing campaign communications supervisor, Del Bigtree, advised the AP final month. Bigtree can also be an anti-vaccine organizer.
Kennedy mentioned he needed to put off 600 staff on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, which oversees vaccine analysis.
The anticipated appointment was first reported by Politico on Thursday.
Kennedy's anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Youngsters's Well being Protection, presently has a lawsuit pending towards a number of information organizations, together with The Related Press, accusing them of violating antitrust legal guidelines by taking steps to determine misinformation, together with about COVID-19. and COVID-19. 19 vaccines. Kennedy bid farewell to the group when he introduced his candidacy for president, however is listed as considered one of its attorneys within the lawsuit.
Trump additionally introduced Thursday that he’ll nominate Jay Clayton, who served as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee throughout his first time period, to function U.S. Lawyer for the Southern District of New York.