President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The decision underscores his administration’s commitment to addressing chronic disease and corruption in health agencies.
“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump posted. He emphasized the need to counter the influence of industrial food and pharmaceutical companies on public health.
Trump highlighted Kennedy’s mission to tackle harmful chemicals, pollutants, and food additives, stating, “Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold-standard scientific research and beacons of transparency.”
Kennedy, a longtime advocate for health reform and environmental safety, expressed his gratitude and determination in a tweet responding to Trump’s announcement.
“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your leadership and courage. I’m committed to advancing your vision to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy wrote. He promised to lead a transformative era at HHS, focusing on reducing chronic disease and ending corporate capture of federal agencies.
HHS oversees institutions that directly impact the nation’s health, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Kennedy’s leadership would also extend to the Office of the Surgeon General, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among others.
Kennedy outlined his plans to restore public trust by prioritizing transparency and evidence-based science. “Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science,” he wrote. He added that his focus will be on empowering Americans with access to unbiased data, enabling them to make informed health decisions.
This nomination represents a significant shift in health policy, with Kennedy’s science-based stance on vaccines and corporate influence drawing mixed reactions.
Kennedy also stressed the importance of working collaboratively with HHS’s workforce of over 80,000 employees. “I look forward to working with the more than 80,000 employees at HHS to free the agencies from the smothering cloud of corporate capture so they can pursue their mission to make Americans once again the healthiest people on Earth,” he stated.