Washington
United States President-elect Donald Trump announced yet another controversial appointment, naming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Calling it the "most important role of any Administration", Trump said that Kennedy will help "Make America Great and Healthy Again!”
"The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country," Trump said in a post on X.
"Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!"
Notably, Kennedy is one of the most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists in the country. He has often made unverified statements and spread false conspiracy theories about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Kennedy issued a statement Thursday, accepting the role and committing to making Americans the "healthiest people on Earth". He vowed to remove “corruption” from the department and help the people of America to make individual health decisions.
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“I look forward to working with the more than 80,000 employees at HHS to free the agencies from the smothering cloud of corporate capture so they can pursue their mission to make Americans once again the healthiest people on Earth,” Kennedy said.
Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago
Later on Thursday night, Trump made an appearance at an event at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. This was his first extended public appearance since being chosen as President-elect. Talking about RFK Jr's appointment, he said, "For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health."
"Mr Kennedy will restore these Agencies [Health and Human Services] to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!"
Kenndey Jr belongs to one of the most known Democractic families in the US. He is the son of US Attorney General Robert F Kennedy and nephew of President John F Kennedy. Both of them died after being assassinated in the 1960s.