Trump Nominates RFK Jr. for HHS Secretary, Facing Opposition from Senate and Nobel Laureates

Dec 14, 2024, 02:31 PM

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of vaccines, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This nomination has sparked significant controversy, with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and over 75 Nobel Prize laureates expressing opposition due to Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance. Kennedy's views, including the debunked notion that vaccines cause autism, have raised concerns about potential public health risks. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has warned nominees to avoid undermining confidence in vaccines like the polio vaccine, which Kennedy's advisor has previously attempted to have revoked. Despite this, Kennedy has promised to address corporate influence over health policy and to make America healthy again, focusing on issues like diet-related illnesses and the influence of ultra-processed foods. He aims to reform dietary guidelines and tackle the impact of ultra-processed foods on public health.