Colorado Governor Jared Polis is facing scrutiny after offering surprising praise for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, despite previously criticizing his anti-vaccine stance as a threat to public health.
Polis, a Democrat, had long expressed concerns about RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine activism, at one point ridiculing the idea that his policies could lead to the return of diseases like measles and polio, The Hill reported. Nonetheless, Polis supported Kennedy's bid to fight corporate control in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors.
Following President-elect Donald Trump's announcement of Kennedy's nomination, Polis shared his support on X, saying he looked forward to working with him on healthcare reforms aimed at reducing drug prices and tackling corporate interests.
"I'm excited by the news that the President-Elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA. I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans (which I think are terrible, just like mandates) but what I'm most optimistic about is taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health," Polis wrote.
I'm excited by the news that the President-Elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA. I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than... pic.twitter.com/cILtTYplcn
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) November 14, 2024
Polis' comments sparked criticism on social media, with some accusing him of abandoning his public health principles in favor of supporting Kennedy's controversial views.
"Jared, have you gone f--king insane," one user wrote, while another added, "Way to end your 2028 campaign before it even starts."
what happened here, @jaredpolis? pic.twitter.com/k9WqbhKswk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 14, 2024
Polis may face ongoing backlash as Kennedy's position in the Health and Human Services Department unfolds, potentially impacting his political standing.
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