United States President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he has selected Robert F Kennedy Jr, an environmental activist who has spread misinformation on vaccines, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the country’s top health agency.
In a post on X, Kennedy vowed to work to end chronic disease, clean up corruption and provide Americans with the data they need to make informed decisions, vowing to Trump he would work to “Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy ran for president in this year’s election as an independent before dropping out in August and endorsing Trump in exchange for a role in the Republican’s administration.
Kennedy, the son and nephew of two titans of Democratic politics, has frequently talked about tackling what he calls the “chronic disease epidemic” of conditions including obesity, diabetes and autism, and reducing chemicals in food.
“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said in a post on social media.
Later on Thursday during a speech at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, Trump praised Kennedy, saying he would do “unbelievable” things in his new position. “We want you to come up with things and ideas and what you’ve been talking about for a long time,” Trump said, without elaborating.
Shares of vaccine makers fell after news of Kennedy’s appointment and were down in after-hours trading by as much as 2%.
Kennedy has been criticised for making false medical claims, including that vaccines are linked to autism. He opposed state and federal restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and was accused of spreading misinformation about the virus.
