Support and Skepticism Emerge as Reactions to Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s HHS Nomination

With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the head of HHS, the antivaccine activist would wield considerable influence over the health of the nation.

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President-elect Donald J. Trump recently announced his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead HHS.¹ The decision was anticipated in the days before, and reactions came quickly.

After Kennedy suspended his own independent presidential campaign, he quickly threw his support behind Trump, and his views on public health, drugs, and nutrition became part of Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform. Trump had vowed to let Kennedy “go wild” on health care.²

Trump’s announcement, which was released on his own Truth Social platform, was swiftly followed by reactions from both sides of the aisle. However, there remain a lot of unknowns about Kennedy, whose views swing from mainstream, such as promoting healthy foods³ and banning prescription drug ads,⁴ to controversial, such as making false statements about vaccines⁵ and touting raw milk.⁶

[Learn more about Kennedy’s health policy stances.]

Ultimately, what Kennedy can accomplish is unclear, said Lindsay Bealor Greenleaf, JD, MBA, who is vice president and head of Federal and State Policy for ADVI Health. His influence will depend on which agency within HHS he is trying to change and what law is being implemented.

“I think on the FDA is where people are focused the most,” she said. “How might that look under an RFK Jr at the head of HHS? We know that, historically, there hasn't been a ton of examples of significant political pressure being put on the FDA. But the more that we're learning about this, some of that is more just a factor of norms and not necessarily a factor of specific statutory constraints…. You could possibly see quite a bit of influence from RFK over the FDA approval process."

Some like Sen Ron Johnson (R, Wisconsin) quickly hailed the nomination, calling Kennedy “a brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation.”

Sen Bill Cassidy, MD (R, Louisiana), also supported the pick, but in a more tempered manner. He highlighted Kennedy’s focus on healthy foods and a need for transparency in the health care system. “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda,” he wrote on X.

Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, voiced support for Kennedy, but clarified his comments shortly after. He wrote on X that he was excited about the appointment and that Kennedy would shake up HHS and FDA and be “taking on big pharma…to improve our health.” Polis followed up by saying, “Science must remain THE cornerstone of our nation’s health policy and the science-backed decision to get vaccinated improves public health and safety.”

Others took a more dire view of the new nominee. Sen Elizabeth Warren (D, Massachusetts) said in a statement that Kennedy is “a danger to public health, scientific research, medicine, and health care coverage for millions.” She wrote that his ideas would bring back polio.⁷

“I will have a lot of questions about Mr. Kennedy’s fitness to serve as health secretary when he appears before the Finance Committee,” she wrote.

Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH, who served as the White House COVID-19 response coordinator from 2022 to 2023 and is the Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, thought Kennedy’s oversight of agencies such as FDA, CMS, and CDC could put progress that has benefited Americans at risk.

“This is an extraordinarily bad choice for the health of the American people,” Jha wrote on X.

He also addressed the concerns that Kennedy doesn’t have any health experience by noting that most HHS secretaries don’t. This is an aspect of Kennedy that doesn’t concern Jha. “RFK's problem is that he has a series of ideas that have just proven to be wrong,” he wrote.

Jerome Adams, MD, who served as surgeon general during Trump’s first term in office, was more measured in his response. He noted that while the HHS secretary oversees a number of agencies, the heads of those individual agencies could be more important.

“If he prioritizes prevention and wellness, particularly by improving our food supply, he has the potential to make a significant impact,” he wrote on X. “However, if he spreads vaccine distrust and reduces uptake, any progress made on health initiatives will be overshadowed.”

Adams also wrote that he didn’t believe Kennedy would receive Senate approval.

Greenleaf wouldn’t speculate about whether or not Republican senators would rally behind the president’s pick and confirm Kennedy. At this time, she and ADVI are closely tracking what Republicans are saying, and she thinks the future of Matt Gaetz’s nomination as US attorney general could be telling.

“You've seen several Republican senators quickly and publicly make their concerns known on that [nomination],” she said. “If you have Republican senators that are willing to buck the president on that confirmation—if they do, in fact, go against Matt Gaetz—maybe that's indicative of them being willing to go against the president on RFK too.”

However, Greenleaf ultimately concluded that “it is definitely too soon to tell. We will have a better idea in the coming weeks.”

References

1. Mattina C. Trump announces RFK Jr as HHS secretary pick. AJMC^®. November 14, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.ajmc.com/view/trump-announces-rfk-jr-as-hhs-secretary-pick

2. Weixel N. RFJ Jr.’s new bully pulpit sends public health shock waves. The Hill. November 10, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4981959-trump-robert-kennedy-health-agencies/

3. Jewett C, Creswell J. Kennedy’s vow to take on big food could alienate his new G.O.P. allies. New York Times. November 15, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/health/rfk-big-food-artificial-dyes-trump.html

4. Stone W, Aubrey A. RFJ Jr. wants to ‘Make America Healthy Again.’ He could face a lot of pushback. NPR. November 15, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/15/nx-s1-5191947/trump-rfk-health-hhs

5. BBC Verify Team. Fact-checking RFK Jr’s views on health policy. BBC. November 15, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mzk2y41zvo

6. Clark S. RFK Jr. promotes raw milk—what does the FDA say? November 15, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/rfk-jr-raw-milk-fda-warnings-ill-sick-1986273

7. Warren statement on Trump nominating RFK Jr. for HHS secretary. News release. Sen Elizabeth Warren. November 14, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-statement-on-trump-nominating-rfk-jr-for-hhs-secretary