Who is Robert F Kennedy Jr? Vaccine sceptic eyes top health role in Trump administration

The erstwhile president, who volition instrumentality to the White House successful January 2025 aft receiving the backing of much than 72 cardinal voters, has suggested helium has large plans for Mr Kennedy.

The president-elect antecedently stated that Mr Kennedy (or RFK, arsenic he’s often referred to) would person "a large relation successful the administration" but stopped abbreviated of confirming what the relation would be.

Speaking astatine a rally earlier the election, Mr Trump besides said helium would fto Mr Kennedy “go chaotic connected food” and “go chaotic connected medicines”.

RFK aboriginal said: “We don’t cognize what I’m going to do. I talked to the president astir it yesterday, and helium asked maine what I wanted, and I said, we’re processing a connection now.”

Rumours had swirled that Mr Kennedy could beryllium successful enactment for a cardinal presumption overseeing national healthcare agencies aft the erstwhile Democrat threw his enactment down Mr Trump’s campaign.

Mr Kennedy had initially entered the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination arsenic an autarkic campaigner earlier this twelvemonth earlier suspending his run successful August to endorse the president-elect.

Since quality emerged that helium whitethorn beryllium repaid for his enactment with a large appointment, RFK has sought to clarify his presumption connected assorted cardinal wellness topics, including his stance connected vaccines and fluoride successful US drinking water.

He has downplayed claims that he’s an anti-vaxxer contempt his grounds of promoting misinformation successful the past.

Here’s what you request to know.

Mr Kennedy, the 4th subordinate of his household enactment to question the presidency, is simply a best-selling writer and biology lawyer who has campaigned connected issues specified arsenic cleanable drinking water.

Beyond his well-known relatives, Mr Kennedy is famed for his absorption to definite vaccinations and antithetic views connected assorted healthcare topics – contempt having nary inheritance successful healthcare oregon science.

His opinions person been mostly criticised by healthcare experts arsenic being fuelled by conspiracy theories.

He developed a estimation arsenic a passionate biology advocator by warring against the usage of fossil fuels and advocating for indigenous populations. Because of his accomplishments successful cleaning up the polluted Hudson River, helium was recognised arsenic 1 of Time magazine's "heroes for the planet".

At this point, it’s unclear what presumption RFK whitethorn clasp successful the upcoming Trump medication – if any. But he’s already made it wide that helium has immoderate large plans for healthcare successful the US.

Mr Kennedy opposes fluoride successful drinking water, antecedently telling NPR: “We don’t request fluoride successful our water. It’s a precise atrocious mode to present it into our systems.”

Mr Trump says helium hasn’t spoken to Mr Kennedy astir the taxable yet, but suggested helium was unfastened to a discussion. He told NBC News: “It sounds good to me. You cognize it's possible.”

Fluoride is simply a mineral often added to drinking water, which helps fortify people’s teeth and prevents bacteria that leads to bony decay.

Higher levels of fluoride whitethorn airs a wellness risk, but astir experts judge tiny amounts are beneficial to people’s dental health.

In places wherever fluoride has been removed from h2o supplies, like successful Canada, experts person besides noticed an uptick successful terrible bony decay successful children.

Mr Kennedy has besides antecedently suggested that helium wanted to region toxins and additives from US foods, prohibition pharmaceutical advertizing and “prove” that vaccines are unsafe - a assertion for which determination is nary technological evidence.

Long earlier the Covid-19 pandemic, RFK was progressive successful the vaccine sceptic movement, and his beliefs person been criticised by nationalist wellness professionals and members of his ain family.

Regarding vaccinations, his niece Kerry Kennedy described his concerns astir vaccines arsenic “dangerously wrong” successful 2020.

He has agelong precocious the debunked thought that vaccines origin autism. He has besides pushed different conspiracy theories, specified arsenic that Covid-19 could person been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people, comments helium aboriginal said were taken retired of context.

Despite his inheritance arsenic an anti-vaxxer, Mr Kennedy has since said: “We’re not going to instrumentality vaccines distant from anybody”.

He said to MSNBC: “I’m going to marque definite technological information studies and efficacy are retired there, and radical tin marque idiosyncratic assessments astir whether that merchandise is going to beryllium bully for them.”

Hines is champion known for playing the relation of Larry David‘s wife, Cheryl, connected Curb Your Enthusiasm, for which she has been nominated for 2 Emmy Awards. She besides starred arsenic Dallas Royce connected the ABC sitcom Suburgatory and made her directorial debut successful 2009 with the movie Serious Moonlight.