RFK JR: Trump picks vaccine sceptic Kennedy for health secretary

Donald Trump has chosen Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is known for questioning vaccines and previously ran as an independent candidate for president, to be his health secretary. This appointment is part of Trump's efforts to assemble his new administration.

Kennedy, often referred to as RFK Jr., has a track record of promoting health claims that experts say are inaccurate.

If the Senate approves his nomination, he will head a large agency that manages a wide range of areas, including food safety, medical research, and welfare programs.

The news broke on Thursday night as new nominations were pouring in, with Trump also stating that he plans to nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as his secretary of the interior.

Trump stated that he will officially reveal his choice of Burgum, a former businessman who competed against him for the Republican presidential nomination, this coming Friday.

During a speech to his supporters at Mar-a-Lago—his first since election night—he playfully hinted at a new appointment, mentioning that he would be giving Burgum a "very significant role." However, he soon chose to reveal the details outright instead of keeping everyone guessing.

Additional nominations revealed on Thursday include:

Former Georgia Congressman Doug Collins has been appointed as the secretary of veterans' affairs.

Todd Blanche, who is representing Trump in the criminal trial concerning the "hush money" case, has been appointed to the role of deputy attorney general.

Dean John Sauer, who acted as Trump's representative in a Supreme Court case earlier this year, will take on the role of solicitor general. He will be responsible for overseeing and managing government legal cases presented in the Supreme Court.

Jay Clayton, who previously served as the chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, held the position of US attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is one of the most prominent federal trial courts in the country.

Trump expressed in a statement that he was "excited to share" the news of Kennedy's nomination.

There was increasing talk that Trump intended to give his former opponent a significant position in healthcare. During his victory celebration on election night, he mentioned to his supporters that Kennedy was eager to "contribute to making America healthy again."

"In his statement on Thursday, Trump expressed that Americans have suffered for far too long at the hands of the industrial food industry and pharmaceutical companies, which have resorted to deceit, misleading information, and falsehoods regarding public health."

Mr. Kennedy plans to bring these agencies [Health and Human Services] back to their roots of high-quality scientific research and transparency. His goal is to tackle the ongoing epidemic of chronic diseases and put America on the path to being both great and healthy once more!

The candidate comes from a prominent family in the Democratic Party, being the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as US Attorney General, and the nephew of John F. Kennedy, a former president. Both of them were tragically killed in the 1960s.

At 70 years old, the environmental lawyer decided to run for president this year as an independent candidate after first attempting to enter the Democratic primary. However, he later halted his campaign and threw his support behind Trump.

He is recognized for his stance against childhood vaccinations, asserting in an interview last year, "I genuinely believe that vaccines are linked to autism."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is the national public health agency in the United States and is overseen by the health secretary, states that numerous research efforts have investigated the link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). So far, these studies consistently indicate that vaccines do not have any connection to ASD.

Kennedy, who struggled with a heroin addiction for 14 years during his younger days, has expressed his desire to contribute to addressing the substance abuse crisis in the United States.

"Last year, he shared with the Daily Mail that we are currently facing a widespread crisis of addiction and alcohol dependency. He also highlighted growing issues of loneliness, hopelessness, disconnection, and isolation."

Throughout his bid for the presidency, stories about Kennedy’s private life frequently made headlines rather than his significant policy initiatives. His revelation about battling a brain worm, along with a bizarre incident involving him discarding a dead bear in Central Park, captured media attention for several days.

Democrats wasted no time in criticizing the selection, with Senator Patty Murray describing it as "disastrous" and referring to Kennedy as someone who promotes "fringe conspiracy theories."

Republican Senator Susan Collins expressed that she was concerned by some of Kennedy's comments, but emphasized that she would ensure he receives an impartial hearing during the confirmation process.

Since securing victory in the US election last week, Trump has been assembling his key leadership team. With his party anticipated to gain control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans will be in charge of both the White House and Congress as a whole.

Marco Rubio has been put forward for the position of secretary of state, while former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is being considered for the role of director of national intelligence. However, the choice to nominate the contentious Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has caused some surprise among lawmakers in Washington.

Gaetz, who has been a vocal supporter of Trump, was facing a continuous ethics investigation in the House of Representatives. This inquiry was focused on accusations of sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, and the improper use of campaign funds.

Senator Dick Durbin, who currently leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, has requested that the results of the investigation into the allegations be made available to the public.

Gaetz is a controversial figure in his party, especially after he played a role in removing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. Lisa Murkowski, a more centrist Republican senator, stated that Gaetz isn’t a viable candidate for the position of attorney general.

In his first public speech after winning the election, Trump shared more information about Elon Musk's potential position in his administration.

The president-elect stated that Musk's newly established Department of Government Efficiency plans to release several reports in the upcoming weeks aimed at improving the efficiency of the US government.