Trump taps RFK Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services

President-elect Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to pb the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

"I americium thrilled to denote Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arsenic The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For excessively long, Americans person been crushed by the concern nutrient analyzable and cause companies who person engaged successful deception, misinformation, and disinformation erstwhile it comes to Public Health," Trump said successful his announcement Thursday. 

"The Safety and Health 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 that person contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis successful this Country. Mr. Kennedy volition reconstruct these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to extremity the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!" Trump added.

The announcement comes conscionable implicit a week aft Trump won backmost the presidency.

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Former statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile President Donald Trump, shingle hands during a run rally successful Glendale, Ariz., Aug. 23. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

RFK Jr. joined the 2024 run rhythm arsenic a campaigner for the Oval Office. Kennedy, who is the lad of erstwhile U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dropped out of the statesmanlike election successful August aft initially moving arsenic a Democrat, earlier helium switched to an autarkic run. 

He endorsed Trump soon aft suspending his campaign, hitting the run way for the Trump-Vance summons portion touting his plans to "Make America Healthy Again" nether a imaginable Trump presidency. 

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He besides spoke during Trump's historical Madison Square Garden rally past month, wherever helium unleashed connected the existent authorities of the Democratic Party. 

Former statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks earlier Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump takes the signifier during a run rally astatine Madison Square Garden connected October 27, 2024, successful New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

"The Democratic Party is the enactment of war. It's the enactment of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech astatine the Democratic normal that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked astir domination of the satellite by the United States done our weapons of war. It's the enactment contiguous that wants to disagreement Americans. It's a enactment that is dismantling women's sports by letting men play women's sports," helium said. 

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"It's the enactment of Wall Street. It's the enactment of Bill Gates, who conscionable gave $50 cardinal to Harris. It's the party, and the Harris run is precise arrogant that it received the endorsement of 50 erstwhile CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney." 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waves to the assemblage astatine a run rally for Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, successful Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Kennedy was asked astir his imaginable relation successful the adjacent White House and whether helium would statesman "clearing retired the apical level national work workers that are presently astatine the FDA and the CDC."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, shakes hands with Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump astatine a run rally Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, successful Glendale, Ariz.

He continued, "In immoderate categories, their full departments, similar the nutrition section successful the FDA, they person to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why bash we person Froot Loops successful this state that person 18 oregon 19 ingredients, and you spell to Canada, and it’s got 2 oregon three?" 

This isn't the archetypal clip Kennedy was considered for a Cabinet presumption for a statesmanlike administration. Back successful 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama reportedly powerfully considered naming Kennedy to pb the Environmental Protection Agency, Politico reported astatine the time.  

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Transition squad spokesperson Karoline Leavitt joined Fox News earlier Thursday, wherever she noted much Cabinet picks would apt beryllium announced aboriginal that afternoon, and besides noted that Kennedy is simply a "once successful a procreation thought leader" who would apt beryllium offered a presumption successful the administration. 

"Certainly President Trump wants to find a spot for RFK JR. He has made that precise wide passim the campaign. RFK JR. is simply a erstwhile successful a procreation thought leader. He's an autarkic mind, a captious thinker. We decidedly request much of that successful Washington, D.C. As for his circumstantial position, I'll fto President Trump denote that. But RFK Jr volition absorption successful the Trump medication connected making America steadfast again. That's different committedness that President Trump made connected the run way and with an assignment of RFK JR. to immoderate presumption President Trump decides. That committedness volition beryllium delivered upon," Leavitt said. 

Earlier this week, Kennedy called connected mean Americans to marque suggestions astir what policies and radical should beryllium enactment successful spot nether Trump's 2nd administration, with Kennedy allies launching a website called "Policies for the People" to facilitate the suggestions from voters. 

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The website says that the suggestions volition assistance capable the implicit 4,000 appointments crossed the full enforcement branch.

"President Trump has asked Bobby [Kennedy] to assistance ‘drain the swamp’ by giving him an influential leadership relation connected his modulation team," a station connected the website says. "But Bobby cannot bash this alone, truthful helium is present turning to the contented and expertise of his supporters – and the larger community."

Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile President Donald Trump holds a run rally astatine the PPG Paints Arena connected Nov. 4, 2024 successful Pittsburgh, Pa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The website is akin to what tech billionaire Elon Musk has said astir "maximum transparency" related to his upcoming relation co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Known arsenic "DOGE," the task unit volition "dismantle authorities bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure national agencies," Trump said earlier this week. 

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"All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency volition beryllium posted online for maximum transparency. Anytime the nationalist thinks we are cutting thing important oregon not cutting thing wasteful, conscionable fto america know! We volition besides person a leaderboard for astir insanely dumb spending of your taxation dollars. This volition beryllium some highly tragic and highly entertaining," Musk posted to X of however DOGE volition operate. 

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.