President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, according to a Nov. 14 Truth Social post.
The job announcement is one of many that Mr. Trump has revealed since he was elected 47th president of the United States.
"For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health," Mr. Trump said in the post. "Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic, and to make America great and healthy again!"
Here are seven things to know:
1. Mr. Kennedy is the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew to John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. A Harvard University graduate, he also studied at the London School of Economics, received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and attended Pace University School of Law where he received a masters in environmental law, according to Congress.gov.
2. Prior to entering politics, Mr. Kennedy spent time in public service, working on children's welfare and environmental causes. He founded the Waterkeepers Alliance, a clean-water advocacy group, and the Children's Health Defense, a membership organization that addresses childhood chronic disease and toxic exposure, Congress.gov reported.
3. Mr. Kennedy ran for president as an independent prior to dropping out in August and throwing his support behind Mr. Trump.
4. Mr. Kennedy's stance on vaccines has stirred controversy in the past, where he has publicly questioned vaccine efficacy and safety, specifically pertaining to claims that link autism to vaccines, which has been disproven by certain scientific evidence, The New York Times reported Nov. 14. In a Nov. 6 interview with MSNBC, Mr. Kennedy said he has "never been antivaccine" and that he will not take them away. "People ought to have choice, and that choice ought to be informed by the best information," he said.
5. With a focus on chronic disease and chemicals, which he calls a "chronic disease epidemic," Mr. Kennedy has indicated that he will zero in on conditions such as autism, obesity and diabetes. He will also work to cut back on chemicals in food and suggested significant changes in health agencies, like the FDA, Reuters reported Nov. 14.
6. Mr. Kennedy has also been critical of the FDA's current operations, and has suggested making cuts to the agency's 18,000 employees and reshaping policies. In a Nov. 6 post on X, Mr. Kennedy said Mr. Trump has asked him to do three things; clean up corruption in government health agencies, return the agencies to "their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science," and make America healthy again by ending the "chronic disease epidemic."
7. Fluoride is another public health concern of Mr. Kennedy. He has suggested removing it from public water supplies and has linked it to health issues like bone cancer, arthritis, bone fractures, IQ loss, thyroid disease and neurodevelopmental disorders. Mr. Kennedy suggested in a Nov. 2 X post that Mr. Trump's administration will remove fluoride from public water on Jan. 20. Mr. Kennedy's fluoride claims are unsupported by health organizations like the American Dental Association, which suggests that fluoride can cut risk of tooth decay by 25% in children and adults.