Trump presses RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services

President-elect Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation, when it comes to public health,” Trump said in his announcement Thursday.

“The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any administration, and HHS will play a major role in helping to ensure that everyone is protected from the harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in this country will restore these agencies to the traditions of scientific gold standards and transparency to end the chronic disease epidemic and to make America great and healthy again!” Trump added.

The announcement comes just over a week after Trump won back the presidency.

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RFK Jr. joined the 2024 campaign cycle as a candidate for the Oval Office. Kennedy, who is the son of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dropped out out of the presidential election in August after first running as a Democrat before switching to an independent run.

He endorsed Trump shortly after suspending his campaign and hit the campaign trail for the Trump-Vance ticket while touting his plans to “Make America Healthy Again” under a potential Trump presidency.

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He also spoke during Trump’s historic rally at Madison Square Garden last month, blasting the current state of the Democratic Party.

“The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You got Kamala Harris to give a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neoconservatives. It was warlike, combative. It spoke of America’s dominance of the world through our weapons of war. It is the party today that wants to divide Americans. It is a party that dismantles women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,’ he said.

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“It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, which just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the support of 50 former CIA agents and officers and by John Bolton and by Dick Cheney.”

Kennedy was asked about his potential role in the next White House and whether he would begin “cleaning out the top-level federal service workers currently at the FDA and the CDC.”

He continued, “In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition division of the FDA, have to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that has 18 or 19 ingredients and you go to Canada and it has two or three?”

This is not the first time Kennedy has been considered for a cabinet position for a presidential administration. Back in 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama reportedly strongly considered appointing Kennedy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Politico reported at the time.

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Transition team spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt joined Fox News earlier Thursday, where she noted that more Cabinet picks would likely be announced later that afternoon, and also noted that Kennedy is a “once in a generation thought leader” who would likely be offered a position in the administration.

“President Trump certainly wants to find a place for RFK JR. He’s made that very clear throughout the campaign. RFK JR. is a once-in-a-generation thought leader. He’s an independent mind, a critical thinker. It has we definitely need more of. As for his specific position, I’ll let President Trump announce it. But the Trump administration will focus on making America healthy again. Appointing RFK JR to that position , that President Trump decides will be met,” Leavitt said.

Earlier this week, Kennedy called on ordinary Americans to make suggestions about what policies and people should be put in place during Trump’s second administration, with Kennedy allies launching a website called “Policies for the People” to facilitate suggestions from voters.

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The website says the proposals will help fill over 4,000 vacancies across the executive branch.

“President Trump has asked Bobby (Kennedy) to help ‘drain the swamp’ by giving him an influential leadership role on his transition team,” a post on the website said. “But Bobby can’t do this alone, so he’s now turning to the wisdom and expertise of his followers—and the larger community.”

The website echoes what tech billionaire Elon Musk has said about “maximum transparency” in his upcoming role as co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency. Known as “DOGE,” the task force will “dismantle government bureaucracy, cut excess regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies,” Trump said earlier this week.

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“All Department of Government Efficiency actions will be published online for maximum transparency. Whenever the public thinks we’re cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just tell us! We’ll also have a ranking of the most crazy stupid spending of your tax dollars This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” Musk wrote to X about how DOGE will work.

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.