Here’s what RFK Jr.’s health care role in Trump’s administration could look like

On November 7, 2024By Littum

Upper line

Former President Donald Trump has indicated that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a noted vaccine skeptic, conspiracy theorist and former independent presidential candidate — to a key health care role in his administration, which Kennedy has already signaled he would use to seek to remove fluoride from water, though the role and his plans remain vague.

Trump suggested he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to an unspecified health post in his … (+) administration. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Key facts

Trump said last week that he would let Kennedy “go wild” on health in his administration, but he has not said what role Kennedy would be appointed to, though That was reported by the Washington Post Trump may appoint him to a “health care czar” role, bypassing Senate confirmation that he will lead a government agency.

Kennedy said in a social media post post he would try to remove fluoride – a mineral added to drinking water that has been credited with improving dental health and preventing cavities in the tap (which Trump said “sounds OK”), although health and dental care experts maintaining fluoride is beneficial.

In other posts on social media, Kennedy said he would seek to “get toxins out of our food,” remove corporate influence from government agencies and prohibit pharmaceutical advertisements.

That was reported by NBC News last week, Kennedy could spearhead an initiative, sources described as “Operation Warp Speed for chronic childhood disease,” Kennedy speculates, possibly targeting obesity and diabetes in children.

Kennedy, who has repeatedly spread misinformation about vaccines, including the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism, submitted on social media last month, he will “not take away anyone’s vaccines” and wants people to be aware of the “risk profile and effectiveness of each vaccine.”

However, Trump has refused to rule out vaccine ban as president and said he would consult with Kennedy and others before making a decision while his transition team co-chaired Howard Lutnick said Kennedy wants access to federal health data to pull vaccines he deems “unsafe” from the market.

What can Kennedy really do about vaccines?

Some public health experts doubt that Kennedy would be able to change much about the way vaccines are approved and regulated, even if he were to lead an agency like the Food and Drug Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lawrence O. Gostin, an expert on public health law at Georgetown University, said New York Times Trump likely wouldn’t be able to ban certain vaccines even if he gives Kennedy a health post, saying Trump can’t unilaterally ban vaccines regulated by the FDA without a legal battle. However, Trump could pressure the FDA to revoke approvals of vaccines and appoint judges inclined to limit the power of federal agencies. American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges Benjamin told CNBC Kennedy could try to appoint people who share his vaccine views to FDA and CDC advisory panels that make vaccine approval and use recommendations, but said states could ignore those recommendations. However, some health experts expressed fear that Kennedy would have a greater platform to spread vaccine misinformation and potentially discourage more Americans from getting vaccinated. Drew Altman, CEO of the health policy research firm KFF, told CNBC many more people “want to hear what (Kennedy) has to say, believe it and act on it,” potentially posing health risks. Some health experts fear cases of diseases such as measles may continue to rise as the number of childhood vaccines has already been declining.

What has Kennedy said about vaccines and other conspiracies?

Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, fluoride and other health issues has been criticized by health experts and organizations as being rooted in conspiracy theories. He has repeatedly made false claims that vaccines cause autism and was chairman of Children’s Health Defense, an organization that says it wants to end children’s health crises but is a source of vaccine misinformation. He compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust in 2022, which he apologized for and was earlier prohibited of YouTube and Instagram to spread misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine. He also made other bizarre claims about Covid-19, including that it was “targeted to attack Caucasians and black people” and “the people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” Kennedy also made misleading claims that fluoride is linked to a variety of conditions, including IQ loss and bone disease. Although some studies have shown links between high levels of fluoride in drinking water and lower IQ in children and bone disease, say health experts the amount of fluoride needed to cause these conditions is much higher than what is typically found in drinking water.

Surprising facts

Kennedy has no scientific or medical credentials. Before his political career, he was an environmental lawyer.

Key background

Kennedy ran for president as an independent, launching his campaign in April 2023 and ending it in August, endorsing Trump. Throughout his campaign, Kennedy based a number of his views on conspiracy theories—including bizarre claims that WiFi causes cancer, antidepressants can be linked to school shootings and chemicals found in the water supply can cause children to become transgender. He has regularly derided fact-checking of these claims as censorship. He in the same way the blame the end of his longstanding presidential bid for “systematic censorship and media control.” As a candidate, Kennedy saw significant support for a third-party candidate: He had 8.7% support according to FiveThirtyEight’s average of polls measuring a match between Trump, President Joe Biden and Kennedy in July, just before Biden dropped out and weeks before Kennedy left the race. After dropping out, Kennedy broke up to vote Trump to his supporters as the way to get himself to Washington, DC, citing Trump’s promise to give him a health care role.