Former US independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump, has been focusing on his “Restore American Health” plan. He has been touring the country giving speeches, participating in podcasts and online forums to address and combat the prevalence of chronic diseases in the United States.
Kennedy stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that ending his presidential campaign was a difficult decision, but it was a necessary step towards fulfilling his mission. He mentioned that for the past 19 years, he has prayed every day for God to help solve America’s health crisis for the next generation. This was one of the main reasons he ran for president.
As an environmental lawyer and founder of a child health protection organization, Kennedy has positioned his campaign platform around combating the control of government institutions by corporations and working towards ending the epidemic of chronic diseases. He stated that these two issues are interconnected, and the actions of many American corporations have made the US one of the unhealthiest and most disease-ridden countries in the world.
“We have made these corporations and the institutions they control wealthy. Now they want to commodify everything we hold dear in our lives.” Kennedy said at the “Save the Republic” rally, pointing out that the influence of corporate interests has infiltrated government decisions, resulting in harm to public interests. He emphasized that loosening the grip of corporations on government institutions is vital to truly improve the overall health and well-being of society.
“At events like the FDA, USDA, and CDC are under the control of large corporations or private entities. Their functions are no longer focused on improving and protecting the health of Americans but rather advancing the business interests of the pharmaceutical and food industries. They have become puppets,” he said during the gathering.
The rally attracted 6,500 supporters of the “Restore American Health” (MAHA) movement to Washington National Mall. Kennedy was one of the keynote speakers at the event.
During his speech in Washington, Kennedy stated that America’s healthcare system and the state of healthcare should be measured by patient outcomes, including indicators like chronic diseases, childhood obesity, and life expectancy. He highlighted that America lags behind in these aspects compared to some smaller economies like Italy. He found that Italians live longer and spend less on healthcare.
“Today, when we compare health indicators between America and some European countries, we are lagging behind by an average of six years in the neighboring European countries. Are we lazier and more prone to suicide than Italians, or is there an issue with our system? Are our incentives problematic? Is our food system problematic?” he questioned.
He argued that the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, by raising insurance costs, has exacerbated the national healthcare crisis, making healthcare the major driver of inflation while the life expectancy of Americans sharply declines.