On November 15th, 2024, the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday, November 14th, his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“I am pleased to announce that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be serving as the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the United States,” Trump wrote on his social media platform “Truth Social.”
“The safety and health of all Americans are the most important responsibilities of any government. The Department of Health and Human Services will play a crucial role in helping to ensure that everyone is protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, drugs, and food additives that have led to a serious health crisis in America,” the statement read.
Trump stated that Kennedy Jr. will reshape the research work of the health institutions, restoring it to the standards of the past. This move aims to increase transparency to the public with the goal of reducing or even preventing the rise of chronic illness among Americans.
If approved by the Senate, Kennedy, a former independent presidential candidate, will lead a massive department overseeing health insurance and Medicare programs, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
At the age of 70, Kennedy Jr. is the son of the late U.S. Attorney General and Democratic Senator from New York, Robert F. Kennedy. His father was assassinated by a gunman in Los Angeles during his presidential campaign in 1968. He is also the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Kennedy Jr. stated that Trump wants him to “clean up” the corruption issues within federal health institutions, allowing them to return to science-based policies and “make America healthy again.”
Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the presidential race in August and instead chose to support Trump.