Support and skepticism emerge as responses to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS nomination

President-elect Donald J. Trump recently announced his appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS.¹ The decision had been expected 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 promised that he would “let Kennedy loose” on health care.²

Trump’s announcement, which was released on his own Truth Social platform, was quickly followed by reactions from both sides of the aisle. However, many unknowns remain about Kennedy, whose views differ from the mainstream, such as promoting healthy food³ and banning advertisements for prescription drugs,⁴ to controversial, such as making false statements about vaccines⁵ and promoting raw milk.⁶

(Learn more about Kennedy’s views on health policy.)

Ultimately, it’s unclear what Kennedy can accomplish, says Lindsay Bealor Greenleaf, JD, MBA, 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 which law is being implemented.

“I think people are focusing most on the FDA,” she said. “What would that look like under an RFK Jr. at the head of HHS? We know that historically there have not been many examples of significant political pressure being put on the FDA. But the more we learn about this, some of it is more just a factor of standards and not necessarily a factor of specific legal restrictions…. You could potentially see quite a bit of influence from RFK on the FDA approval process.”

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

Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R, Louisiana), also supported the choice, but in a more tempered manner. He emphasized Kennedy’s focus on healthy eating and the 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 said wrote on X.

Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, expressed support for Kennedy but clarified his comments shortly afterwards. He wrote on X that he was excited about the appointment and that Kennedy would shake up HHS and FDA and “take over big pharma… to improve our health.” Policy followed up 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 had a more somber 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 for millions.” She wrote that his ideas would bring back polio.⁷

“I will have many questions about Mr. Kennedy’s fitness to serve as Secretary of Health 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 like the FDA, CMS and CDC could jeopardize progress that has benefited Americans.

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

He also addressed concerns that Kennedy lacks any health care experience, noting that most HHS secretaries do not. This is an aspect of Kennedy that does not concern Jha. “RFK’s problem is that he has a set of ideas that have just been proven wrong,” he wrote.

Jerome Adams, MD, who served as surgeon general during Trump’s first term, was more moderate 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 well-being, especially by improving our food supply, he has the potential to have a significant impact,” he says. wrote on X. “However, if he spreads mistrust of vaccines and reduces their uptake, any progress on health initiatives will be overshadowed.”

Adams also wrote that he did not believe Kennedy would receive Senate approval.

Greenleaf would not speculate on whether or not Republican senators would back the president’s choice and confirm Kennedy. For now, she and ADVI are keeping a close eye on what Republicans say, and she thinks the future of Matt Gaetz’s nomination as U.S. attorney general could be telling.

“You’ve seen several Republican senators quickly and publicly express their concerns about that (nomination),” she said. “If you have Republican senators who are willing to go against the president on that confirmation — if in fact they go against Matt Gaetz — that might be an indication that they are also willing to go against the president on RFK.”

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

References

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

2. The New Bully Pulpit by Weixel N. RFJ Jr. causes shock waves for public health. 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 promise to take on big food could alienate his new Republican 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 may face a lot of setbacks. 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 Verification 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 RFK Jr. Appointment as HHS Secretary by Trump. News item. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. November 14, 2024. Accessed November 15, 2024.