Trump appoints vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. to lead Health and Human Services amid controversy

Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a controversial vaccine skeptic, to lead Health and Human Services.

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services on Thursday, tasking the controversial vaccine skeptic, who has faced accusations of personal misconduct and questionable environmental practices, with addressing the “chronic disease epidemic.”

Kennedy, 70, who has supported Trump since suspending his independent presidential campaign in August, has been a vocal advocate for the president-elect. Trump had previously hinted that he would let RFK Jr. “go wild” if he won the Nov. 5 election.

Despite his opposition to childhood vaccinations, Kennedy stated the day after Trump’s victory that he had no plans to “take away” anyone’s vaccines.  

“If vaccines are working for somebody, I’m not going to take them away. People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information,” he told NBC News on Nov. 6. “So I’m going to make sure scientific safety studies and efficacy are out there, and people can make individual assessments about whether that product is going to be good for them.”

Kennedy’s opposition to adding fluoride to local water supplies is unlikely to be part of his duties, as such decisions are regulated by state and local governments.

If confirmed, Kennedy will lead HHS, which oversees 80,000 employees, a $1.7 trillion budget, and numerous agencies dealing with issues like nutrition, immigration, and biodefense research.

Kennedy has criticized what he calls “insidious corruption at the FDA, the NIH, the HHS, and the USDA.” Before the election, he warned FDA employees in an X post: “I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”

A Senate Republican source expressed shock at Trump’s choice, telling *The Post* that “RFK has as much chance of getting confirmed by the Senate as he does of taking a vaccine shot.”

The source also mentioned uncertainty over whether Trump might use a recess appointment to install Kennedy, which could prompt incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to keep the chamber in extended session. “That dynamic is still being worked through,” the source added.

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump wrote in his nomination announcement, using his X account to reveal the pick.