Donald Trump announced on November 14, 2024 that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) as Secretary of Health. For too long, Americans have been crushed by the food industry and pharmaceutical companies' deception and misinformation about public health., declared the president-elect on his Truth Social platform.
The nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, “RFK” Junior is known for spreading conspiracy theories, particularly about Covid vaccines – the very same ones developed in record time under the Trump administration.
Trying to reassure, the eccentric member of the Kennedy dynasty, who has no scientific training, recently maintained in interviews that he “would not take away anyone’s vaccines.” While adding that he would ensure that "Americans should be well informed" on the question.
A colorful character
A colourful character, addicted to heroin in his youth, he recounted during the campaign having abandoned the corpse of a bear cub in Central Park in New York, and having one day had to have a worm removed from his brain.
But the respected former environmental lawyer, who argued against Monsanto over Roundup herbicide and fought pipeline construction, also has some good ideas, including wanting to tackle pesticides and the obesity problem, experts said.
"Our top priority will be to clean up public health agencies."
The two surprise allies are promoting a new movement called MAHA, "Make America Healthy Again," a slogan modeled on the Republican's famous MAGA ("Make America Great Again").
The goal: "transform" food, air, water, soil and more "our country's medicines", he proclaims in a video, his voice made shaky by a neurological disease.
"Our top priority will be to clean up public health agencies.", those in charge of health recommendations (CDC), research (NIH), drugs (FDA), but also the American Department of Agriculture, he adds.
You can also find out more about the. "have become puppets of the industries they are supposed to regulate", says the septuagenarian, for whom the fight against “corruption” is an obsession.
Read alsoThe incredible medical journey of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
It's necessary "putting an end to the epidemic of chronic diseases"
To FDA Employees "part of this system", he advised: "keep your records" The and “pack your boxes”. Donald Trump, who loves fast food, also put him in charge of food.
It's necessary "putting an end to the epidemic of chronic diseases", including obesity, insists Robert Kennedy Jr., who is also a fan of unpasteurized milk, which health agencies fear so much.
In a list of proposed measures released in September, he cites lowering the price of diabetes drugs like Ozempic — also a favorite of left-wing Sen. Bernie Sanders — and preventing food stamps from being used to buy soda or processed foods.
Measurement "which I have been defending for 15 years", commented Tom Frieden, director of the CDC under Barack Obama. Before adding: if the fight against chronic diseases is appropriate, the "pseudo-science" of the MAHA movement "is not the solution."
Charge ofand “women’s health”
The man nicknamed "Bobby" also caused controversy by saying he would recommend stopping the addition of fluoride to tap water, a measure designed to prevent cavities that the CDC considers one of the 10 greatest health achievements of the 20th century.
During the campaign, Donald Trump had finally declared that he would be in charge ofand “women’s health”.
On this issue, RFK has had contradictory positions. He recently defended the idea that women should be able to abort their entire pregnancy, noting "no confidence in the government" to exercise power "on the bodies".
He then went back on these statements, pronouncing himself in favor of a ban from the viability of the fetus (around 24 weeks). That is the limit set for 50 years before the American Supreme Court, profoundly reworked by Donald Trump, gives back to the States the freedom to legislate on the question in 2022.
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