Republican candidate Donald Trump has revealed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of the Kennedy family and a well-known vaccine skeptic, would have a “significant role” in his administration if he emerges victorious in next week’s election.
While speaking to reporters outside a high-end halal restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan, Mr. Trump expressed his strong confidence in Mr. Kennedy, who has spent the last twenty years promoting vaccine disinformation, asserting that he possesses the ideal qualifications for a prominent position.
“He’s going to have a major role in healthcare,” Mr. Trump stated, adding with his signature flair: “He knows more about it than anyone else.”
Mr. Trump acknowledged that Mr. Kennedy holds “some views that I strongly agree with and have for a long time,” but he sidestepped inquiries regarding his endorsement of Mr. Kennedy’s vaccine-related statements.
There is widespread speculation regarding his candidacy for a cabinet position, particularly focusing on the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
During a lively rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden last week, Mr. Trump hinted that he would allow Mr. Kennedy to “go wild on health,” leaving the details to the audience’s imagination.
Additionally, he suggested to a crowd in Nevada that this responsibility would also cover “women’s health,” further enraging Democrats who are already furious over the rollback of abortion rights by Republicans in over 20 states.
Cabinet appointments require confirmation by the Senate, which is achieved through a simple majority of 51 votes, with the vice president casting the tie-breaking vote if necessary.
Since the mid-2000s, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has become a prominent figure in the global anti-vaccine movement.
His controversial claims have included labeling Covid-19 vaccines as the “deadliest ever made” and alleging that the virus was “ethnically targeted” to impact black and white individuals while allegedly sparing “Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”
Previously, he was a respected climate lawyer and was reported to be a leading candidate for the position of chief of the Environmental Protection Agency under former Democratic president Barack Obama, although he was ultimately not selected.
