The former vaccination opponent who is now the US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., makes references to reforming US institutions that he claims are “stealing the health of our children.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the recently confirmed Health Secretary, has accused US institutions of “stealing the health of our children” and proposed that they should suffer the same fate as USAID, which is being cut by President Donald Trump’s administration.
RFK Jr. attributed his ascent to power to divine intervention on Thursday, his first day in office, which instantly stoked fears that vital health agencies may soon be attacked.
Kennedy became upset as he recalled his first visit to the Oval Office in 1962 during his White House swearing-in ceremony, which came after a Senate confirmation vote that was mostly along party lines, 52-48.
He reportedly showered Trump with accolades, claiming that “God sent me President Trump,” whom he referred to as a “man on a white horse,” was the answer to his prayers for 20 years to find a cure for chronic childhood ailments.
Kennedy maintained that although his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, established USAID with good intentions, it has subsequently turned into a “sinister propagator of totalitarianism.”
In support of Trump’s recent measures at the humanitarian organization, he said, “We want to do the same thing with the institutions that are stealing the health of our children.”
Kennedy demanded cuts to the National Institutes of Health and pledged to destroy the “corrupt” Food and Drug Administration before the 2024 election, claiming it was prioritizing research on infectious diseases above chronic illnesses.
environmentalist who opposes vaxers
Once a well-known environmental attorney, RFK Jr. accused climate crisis skeptics of betraying the nation by suing Monsanto. However, he has been promoting conspiracy theories for the past 20 years that link childhood immunizations to autism and even cast doubt on the idea that germs cause disease.
Kennedy’s rich consulting fees from law firms fighting pharmaceutical companies were cited by Democrats as conflicts of interest during his confirmation hearings.
They also emphasized his statements that antidepressants are a contributing factor in school shootings and accusations of sexual misconduct.
However, conservatives suspicious of his liberal history were won over by his turn to Republican views, especially on abortion rights, which he had previously defended but has since indicated a readiness to restrict.
In the end, the only Republican who opposed him was Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader and a polio victim as a youngster. The Democrats were unanimous in their opposition.
“I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell, 82, stated.
Kennedy brushed off the criticism, saying his opinions were misrepresented and that he was only supporting “common sense” legislation.
“Vaccines should be tested, they should be safe, everyone should have informed consent,” he stated.
“I’m not going to take away anyone’s vaccine,” he said in a later Fox News interview, but he also claimed that “we lack comprehensive safety studies on nearly all vaccines.”
Restore America’s Health
Kennedy gained more traction with his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) program, which emphasized the need to hold the food sector responsible in order to combat chronic disease. This was a play on Trump’s MAGA slogan.
On Fox, he stated, “A lot of what I’m going to do is about radical transparency,” implying intentions for more thorough labeling regulations.
Kennedy made news with his unusual statements during his 2024 independent presidential campaign, including that he had once decapitated a dead whale and recovered from a parasitic brain worm.
Some of his most scathing critics were members of his own family, and 77 Nobel laureates issued an open letter last year protesting his selection.
Former diplomat Caroline Kennedy, his cousin, accused him of being a “predator” who encouraged younger family members to become addicted to drugs.
“This is a disaster waiting to happen — and it will happen,” Paul Offit, a top vaccine specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told the news agency AFP.
Kennedy might use his newfound authority to discredit vaccines, including by dismissing the advisory group that determines whether vaccines are covered by insurance, Democratic Senator Patty Murray cautioned.
