President Donald Trump of the United States has appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
This appointment follows President Trump's recent election victory, where he defeated Kamala Harris in the general election held from November 5th to 6th, thereby becoming the 47th President of the United States.
President Donald Trump announced his appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his X account, which was previously known as Twitter.
He stated the details in a formal post:
I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). 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. 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. 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!
Who is Robert Francis Kennedy Jr
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954), commonly referred to by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental attorney, anti-vaccine advocate, and proponent of various conspiracy theories.
He served in an advisory capacity for Donald Trump’s second presidential campaign. Kennedy is the founder and chairman of Children’s Health Defense, an organization that advocates against vaccines and disseminates misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations.
He has appeared as an independent candidate on ballots in certain states during the 2024 United States presidential election.
A member of the distinguished Kennedy family, he is the son of the former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the nephew of the former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Massachusetts, Kennedy obtained his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.
He began his professional career as an assistant district attorney in New York City.
In the mid-1980s, he joined two prominent non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental conservation: Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
His tenure at Riverkeeper helped establish enduring legal standards for environmental protection.
During his time at both organizations, Kennedy achieved significant legal victories against major corporate polluters. In 1986, he became an adjunct professor of environmental law at Pace University School of Law.
He founded the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace in 1987, serving as supervising attorney and co-director until 2017. In 1999, he established Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit environmental organization, and presided over its board until 2020.
Since 2005, Kennedy has been a prominent advocate for anti-vaccine misinformation and public health conspiracy theories, including the scientifically debunked assertion of a connection between vaccines and autism.
The preservative on which he bases his claims has not been utilized in childhood vaccines since 2001. Kennedy characterizes his position as a defense of medical freedom and a critique of governmental overreach in public health policies; however, this perspective has faced considerable criticism from public health experts and fact-checkers.
Since the initiation of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has emerged as a leading figure in the dissemination of misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.
Many of his often inaccurate statements concerning public health have targeted influential individuals such as Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, and Joe Biden. Kennedy has authored several works, including "The Real Anthony Fauci" (2021) and "A Letter to Liberals" (2022).
