Robert Kennedy Jr., who is a vaccine skeptic, has been named as Donald Trump’s new health secretary. Trump Jr. made the announcement on X before the president-elect officially confirmed it.
He had previously been a Democrat, but he dropped out of the presidential race and supported Mr Trump in August.
For his part, Trump promised to give Mr Kennedy a major role in the administration after he supported him during the election.
He made the announcement at a dinner at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. Other prominent individuals in attendance included actor Sylvester Stallone and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Addressing RFK Jr., Trump said that he wanted him to develop ideas and come up with new solutions. He also said that he believed that he would be able to do things that no one else would be able to accomplish.
Some of the agencies that would be affected by his new position include the FDA, the CDC, Medicare, and the NIH.
According to Trump, RFK Jr. would be able to restore the agencies’ reputations and improve transparency. He also stated that Americans were being “stomped” by the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.
These companies have been known to spread false information about the public health.
The safety of Americans is of utmost importance to the Trump administration. Mr. Kennedy is a known sceptic of vaccines, who has repeatedly claimed that childhood vaccinations are causing autism.
As the new health secretary, Mr. Kennedy’s department will play a leading role in protecting the public from harmful chemicals and other harmful substances.
Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, announced the appointment of RFK Jr. as the new health secretary on X.
His position will require Senate confirmation, and even with Republicans in control, his appointment could be in jeopardy due to his controversial views on vaccines.
Before Trump’s appointment was announced, Mr. Kennedy had already stated that the incoming president would prioritize removing fluoride from drinking water during his first day in office, which has been cited as a contributing factor to improving oral health.
The vast majority of the 80,000 employees that RKF Jr hopes to oversee would be in his department.