Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that former President Donald Trump has promised him control over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including public health agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH, in a video that has been circulating online. Kennedy stated that he is ready to help rid these agencies of corruption and restore evidence-based science. Both the HHS secretary and USDA secretary positions are cabinet-level positions, but no formal decisions about cabinet and personnel appointments have been made yet.
Trump’s campaign national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement that the president plans to work alongside voices like RFK Jr. to make America healthy again by providing safe food and ending the chronic disease epidemic plaguing children. Kennedy initially sought the Democratic presidential nomination, then ran as an independent, eventually dropping out and supporting Trump. He expressed plans to give farmers an off-ramp from the current system that harms the environment, public health, and family farms once he is inside the USDA, according to a social media post.
During a podcast interview, Trump confirmed that he is fully committed to including Kennedy in his administration and allowing him to go wild on health, food, and medicine. Kennedy shared his intentions on social media to remove ultra-processed foods from school lunches once Trump is back in office and he is in Washington, D.C. Kennedy has also discussed his Make America Healthy Again agenda, which includes replacing corrupt industry-captured officials in public health entities like the CDC, NIH, FDA, and USDA with honest public servants to restore the agencies’ integrity.
Kennedy has criticized public health agencies for becoming puppets for the industries they are supposed to regulate, highlighting a need for reform and greater transparency in their operations. It is clear that he and Trump are aligned in their vision to address corruption within these agencies and to prioritize evidence-based science in decision-making. The collaboration between Kennedy and Trump appears to be centered on improving public health, food safety, and agricultural practices to benefit the American people and address various health concerns affecting the population.
Despite Kennedy’s background as an environmental attorney and activist, his partnership with Trump has sparked interest and speculation about the potential impact they could have on public health policy and regulations. By addressing conflicts and corruption within public health agencies, they aim to promote honesty, transparency, and public service in these vital institutions. The promised reforms and initiatives outlined by Kennedy and Trump suggest a shared goal of promoting health and well-being for all Americans through evidence-based, science-driven approaches to policy-making and decision-making.
