Trump Names RFK Jr. HHS Secretary In New Administration

President Donald J. Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes oversight of the FDA, CDC, and NIH among other important federal health agencies. There have been mixed reactions following the announcement, which follows Trump and Kennedy’s campaign promise to make America healthy again.

President Trump said, “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). 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. The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). 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…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2024

Kennedy responded by eagerly accepting President Trump’s appointment. Kennedy wrote, “We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic. I look forward to working with the more than 80,000 employees at HHS to free the agencies from the smothering cloud of corporate capture so they can pursue their mission to make Americans once again the healthiest people on Earth.”

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your leadership and courage. I’m committed to advancing your vision to Make America Healthy Again.

We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) November 14, 2024

Kennedy has been involved in Trump’s transition team and detailed several health agency reform plans. He said on the campaign trail that he would root out the corruption within the health agencies, explicitly referring to a revolving door of industry insiders moving in and out of the regulation agencies. He announced a plan to fire 600 NIH employees and hire a new team.

President Trump promised his supporters that Kennedy would have a role in the administration related to health, however, wasn’t clear if he would be an official cabinet member or a consultant. Kennedy said he would take on the FDA’s “aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma.”

“Dozens” of FDA employees have reportedly been considering leaving the agency due to the possibility of Kennedy heading HHS, according to an NBC news report. Kennedy’s message to the staff of the FDA is that anyone who is part of the corrupt system of suppression should prepare to “1. Preserve your records and 2. Pack your bags.”

Mainstream media articles refer to Kennedy as a vaccine-skeptic, while others call Kennedy a “crank” and “a clear and present danger.” The Atlantic is a news site that has received $1.7 million in grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation over the last nine years. The article titled, “The Sane Washing of RFK Jr.” refers to Kennedy as a “crank” who believes Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci are part of a “vaccine cartel.”

The Guardian, another outlet that has received millions of dollars from Bill Gates, called Kennedy “an anti-vaccine activist who has embraced a slew of other debunked health-related conspiracy theories.”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, celebrated the announcement and said Kennedy helped stop vaccine mandates during the pandemic. Polis said Kennedy “will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA.” He added, “What I’m most optimistic about is taking on Big Pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health.”

The celebratory post comes three months after Polis alluded to the return of measles and polio if Kennedy was given a role in reforming the health agencies. The governor said,“I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans.” Despite Kennedy’s criticism of vaccine safety, he has said he has no intention of banning all vaccines.

In a recent speech, Kennedy said, “For many years, I was saying not one of the 72 vaccines mandated for children has ever been safety tested in pre-licensing placebo-controlled trials, not one. Tony Fauci was saying ‘he’s lying’.” Kennedy said he asked Fauci to show him the study but never received it. He continued, “So I sued him. Me and Aaron Siri, and after stonewalling us for a year. Their lawyers met us on the courthouse staff and said, yup, you’re right, we never had any study. And they gave it to us in writing.” See the letter here.

The letter addressed to Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) CEO Del Bigtree states, “Inert placebo controls are not required to understand the safety profile of a new vaccine, and are thus not required. In some cases, inclusion of placebo control groups is considered unethical.”

Kennedy also said that Trump’s administration would call for removing fluoride from drinking water. Mainstream media outlets are reporting about dentists pushing back against the removal of fluoride. This pushback is largely based on the dental health benefits of having fluoridated water but dismissive of the National Toxicology Program report that found a decrease in IQ for children. The NTP report was one of the reasons Judge Chen ruled that community water fluoridation poses an “unreasonable risk” to human health. That ruling requires the EPA to take action, but that action could take years.

The HighWire reported on the contradictory recommendations from dental associations regarding fluoride in the aftermath of the landmark court decision. Last month, The Cochrane Review concluded, “Adding fluoride to water may slightly increase the number of children who have no tooth decay in either their baby teeth or permanent teeth. However, these results also included the possibility of little or no difference in tooth decay.” After the historic win against the EPA over the use of fluoride in drinking water, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Michael Connett, appeared on The HighWire to discuss the decades-long concealment of the significant harms fluoride poses to human health and its implications for the future of water fluoridation.

Immediately following the news of Kennedy’s appointment to HHS, pharmaceutical stocks plummeted. Moderna fell by 6%, Pfizer dropped 3%, and Bavarian Nordic saw a 16% decrease on Thursday.

Another agency under the purview of HHS is the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a sub-agency of the Administration for Children and Families. The HighWire spoke with whistleblower Tara Rodas and reported about the child trafficking enabled through the unaccompanied children program.

As Kennedy prepares to take office, his leadership at HHS is expected to bring significant changes to the nation’s public health landscape. Whether or not his reforms can reshape the health system remains to be seen, but his appointment has already disrupted the status quo in a major way.