presidential election donald trump Announced that he would nominate former independent presidential candidate robert f kennedy jr To run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This is fulfillment of an implicit promise that Trump made at a rally in New York's Madison Square Garden in late October, where he said he would let Kennedy go. “Be cautious about your health.”
Kennedy, a former Democrat and scion of a wealthy political family, first rose to prominence as an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist. Around 2015, he joined the board of the nonprofit Children's Health Defense, which alleges that conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are caused by environmental factors, including harmful agents in vaccines. Kennedy has repeatedly spread Misinformation about vaccines And in 2021 it was named by the Center for Countering Digital Hate as one of the “Disinformation Dozen,” Spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
he has suggestedContrary to all reputable scientific research, that COVID-19 may have been “ethnically targeted” to protect Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people and that HIV does not cause AIDSand there are conceived That vaccine mandates are worse than the Holocaust. He too Said A statement in 2012 said that a worm ate part of his brain and then he died.
Kennedy's account was banned from Instagram in 2021 for spreading vaccine misinformation. His account was restored in 2023, when he announced his intention to run for office.
In August, Kennedy Suspended his campaign and threw his support behind TrumpSaying, “If President Trump is elected and honors his word, the enormous burden of chronic disease that is burdening and bankrupting the country will disappear.” He launched a slogan parallel to Trump's MAGA-Make America Healthy Again (MAHA)-Focused on “prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats, and eliminating toxins from our food, water and air.”
HHS oversees 13 federal agencies—Kennedy has indicated that he would swallow it.-Including the National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control.
However, Kennedy's position is still dependent on Congressional approval. Previous HHS leaders have had long careers in the public health sector or within the department before serving as chief. A Republican-controlled Senate could censure Trump, or it could point to Kennedy's aggressive promotion of conspiracy theories, long career as a loyal Democrat, and Complicated situation on abortion As reasons to block his accession.
Although Kennedy has promised to overhaul the entire system, experts who spoke to WIRED say he will come against long-standing rules This will be difficult to deal with. Health policies are also heavily informed by advisory committees, filled with medical and public health experts, and it will take time for changes to fully reflect government recommendations.
Still, like HHS Director, Kennedy Will Have Substantial Power Firing employees and declaring a public health emergency.