Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently revealed that former President Donald Trump has expressed intentions to grant him control over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Kennedy stated that Trump had assured him of having control over various public health agencies, including HHS and its sub-agencies like CDC, FDA, NIH, and others, along with the USDA. These statements were made in a video clip that has been circulating online.
The New York Times reported that Kennedy clarified the context of the video, mentioning that it was from an internal discussion with campaign workers about get-out-the-vote efforts for Trump. Kennedy expressed his readiness to assist in eliminating conflicts and corruption within public health agencies and reinstating evidence-based science standards.
While no formal decisions have been made regarding Cabinet positions, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated that Trump aims to collaborate with passionate individuals like RFK Jr. to enhance public health and food safety, as well as address the rising chronic disease rates. Trump plans to establish a special Presidential Commission to investigate the causes of the prolonged increase in chronic illnesses.
Kennedy, who initially sought the Democratic presidential nomination and later backed Trump after an independent bid, shared his vision of transforming the USDA to benefit farmers and promote healthier practices. Trump affirmed his commitment to involving Kennedy in his administration during a podcast interview with Joe Rogan.
At a recent rally, Trump emphasized empowering Kennedy to focus on health, food, and medicine issues. Kennedy has been vocal about the need to address industry influence within public health entities like CDC, NIH, FDA, and USDA, advocating for the replacement of compromised officials with ethical public servants.
Looking ahead, Kennedy and Trump aim to collaborate on initiatives such as removing ultra-processed foods from school lunches and implementing reforms to support family farms and public health.
