RFK Jr. tapped to lead Department of Health and Human Services

President-elect Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

"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," Trump said in his annoucment Thursday. 

"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." 

The announcement comes just over a week after Trump won back the presidency.

RFK Jr. joined the 2024 campaign cycle as a candidate for the Oval Office. Kennedy, who is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dropped out of the presidential election in August after initially running as a Democrat, before he switched to an independent run. 

Kennedy endorsed Trump shortly after suspending his campaign, and has since hit the campaign trail while touting his plans to "Make America Healthy Again" under a potential Trump presidency. 

Kennedy has joined a bevy of Trump campaign events in the lead up to Nov. 5, including speaking at Trump's historic Madison Square Garden rally last month, where he unleashed on the current state of the Democratic Party. 

"The Democratic Party is the party of war. It's the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It's the party today that wants to divide Americans. It's a party that is dismantling women's sports by letting men play women's sports," he said. 

"It's the party of Wall Street. It's the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It's the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney." 

Kennedy, who has been a key figure in the Trump campaign since endorsing him, was asked about his potential role in the next White House and whether he would begin "clearing out the top level federal service workers that are currently at the FDA and the CDC."

He continued, "In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it’s got two or three?" 

"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!" Trump added.