Trump names RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services chief

President-elect Trump Thursday named vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to beryllium Secretary of Health and Human Services successful his forthcoming administration, the latest of a drawstring of explosive furniture picks.

Vowing to “Make America Great and Healthy Again,” Trump hailed RFK Jr. arsenic the right idiosyncratic to extremity what helium called a “chronic illness epidemic” successful the U.S. and cleanable location astatine nationalist wellness and nutrient information agencies.

“The information and wellness of each Americans is the astir important relation of immoderate administration, and HHS volition play a large relation successful helping guarantee that everybody volition beryllium protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and nutrient additives,” Trump said successful a societal media post. “Kennedy volition reconstruct these agencies to the traditions of golden modular technological research, and beacons of transparency.”

The HHS station would typically necessitate Senate confirmation, though Trump has suggested he mightiness usage alleged recess appointments to bypass the accepted relation of lawmakers.

There volition beryllium an expected 53 Republican senators successful the caller Congress, and Vice President-elect JD Vance would get a tie-breaking vote, meaning 4 GOP senators would apt person to reason Kennedy to artifact his appointment.

RFK Jr., the lad of the slain Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy, ran for president arsenic an independent aft toying with moving against President Biden successful a Democratic primary. He ended his White House run successful the summertime and endorsed Trump.

The 2 men became close friends and steadfast governmental allies, and Kennedy made regular appearances connected Trump’s behalf connected the statesmanlike run trail.

Many members of Kennedy’s celebrated Democratic household person denounced his moves.

Trump had antecedently said helium wanted to let RFK Jr. “go wild” connected wellness policy. Some Trump insiders had predicted Kennedy mightiness beryllium named successful a fuzzy relation arsenic wellness czar.

HHS is simply a sprawling bureau that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and nutrient information to aesculapian probe and the societal information nett programs Medicare and Medicaid. The U.S. besides plays a cardinal relation successful planetary nationalist health.

Kennedy has made outrageous mendacious claims astir puerility vaccines and the COVID vaccines that nationalist wellness experts recognition with ending the pandemic and redeeming millions of lives. He has claimed vaccines are linked to autism contempt galore studies going backmost decades that debunk that claim.

The prime sent stocks of vaccine-makers plunging connected Wall Street successful precocious trading Thursday.

Trump was antecedently the biggest booster of the COVID vaccine, which helium fast-tracked arsenic portion of his much-hyped Operation Warp Speed. But helium has since backed distant from that stance arsenic right-wing Republicans person rebelled against vaccines.

Trump had already made respective arguable furniture nominations this week including Matt Gaetz to beryllium lawyer general, Pete Hegseth astatine the Pentagon and Tulsi Gabbard arsenic Director of National Intelligence.