RFK Jr. says fluoride will be removed from drinking water if Trump wins

The final stretch in the race to the White House

The 2024 presidential battle is entering its final weekend, with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a razor-thin battle. At this late stage of the campaign, every day is important. And while few voters can change their minds this late in a typical election, there is a sense that what happens in these final days could shift the vote. LiveNOW from FOX presenter Jeane Franseen spoke with a political journalist. Rich Rubino on the latest news.

says Robert F. Kennedy Jr Donald Trump will push to remove fluoride from drinking water across the country if elected.

Kennedy, the former independent presidential candidate who dropped out of the race and supported Trump, said the order would come on Day 1 of the new administration. He said the Trump White House “will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the most important greatest public health achievements of the last century.

Kennedy, a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims, made the statement on the social media platform X.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, shake hands during a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

It was not clear whether Kennedy discussed Saturday’s post with Trump or his aides. The Trump campaign did not provide an immediate response, and a spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond when asked.

But the sudden and unexpected weekend social media post evoked the chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s tenure in the White House, when he made policy statements on Twitter at virtually all hours. It also underscored the concerns many experts have about Kennedy, who has long promoted debunked theories about vaccine safety and influence over U.S. public health.

In 1950, federal officials approved water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after brands of fluoride toothpaste entered the market several years later. Although fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the most important source for Americans, researchers say.

Officials lowered their recommendation for fluoride levels in drinking water in 2015 to address a dental condition called fluorosis, which can stain teeth and is becoming increasingly common in American children.

In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies where fluoride levels were about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.

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A federal judge later cited that research and ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it is not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water causes lower IQ in children, but he concluded that mounting research indicates an unreasonable risk that it could. He ordered the EPA to take steps to reduce that risk, but did not say what those measures should be.

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What role Kennedy could play if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump had asked him to “reorganize” agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.

Trump regularly mentions that he has the support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy, “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want,” except oil policy.

“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants children, he wants everything,” Trump added.