of Donald Trump battery of controversial appointments in his new administration continues apace. After appointing Pete Hegseth, a Fox host, to run the Pentagon, Tulsi Gabbard, an admirer of Vladimir Putin, to head the intelligence services and Matt Gaetz — who during his term as a congressman was the subject of an investigation federal sexual misconduct and drug and embezzlement charges — as attorney general, the president-elect decided to appoint anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy’s appointment came as no surprise, as Trump has made it clear for weeks that he would have a role in his administration. “It’s going to help make America healthy again,” the president-elect said in his election night victory celebration. “He’s a great guy and really serious. He wants to do some things and we’ll let him go at them.”

Kennedy began his presidential bid as the Democratic candidate, the party of his family dynasty, in the primaries. When he saw that he had no chance against Joe Biden, he launched his candidacy as an independentonly to backtrack and throw his support behind Trump last August. On the eve of the presidential election, Kennedy let slip on social media that he had received an invitation from the Republican candidate to be “in charge of health.” Shares of Moderna and Novovax, two of the leading makers of coronavirus vaccines, fell on news of the appointment.

“I am pleased to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)” Trump wrote on his social network, Truth Social. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health. The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any administration, and HHS will play an important role in ensuring that everyone is protected from the harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and food additives that have contributed to the Health Crisis overwhelming in this country. Mr. Kennedy will return these agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard scientific research and beacons of transparency to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America great and healthy again!” he added. In recent weeks, the hashtag Make America Healthy Again (#MAHA) has gained popularity on the networks.

The day after the election, Kennedy confirmed to X that Trump had asked him for three things: “Clean up the corruption in our government health agencies. Return those agencies to their rich tradition of standard, evidence-based science. Make America Healthy Again by Ending the Chronic Disease Epidemic.”

As he advanced on the same social network, Kennedy’s unwavering prescription for the supposed regeneration of the country’s health is to take over the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): “Their war on public health is about to end.” he saidreferring to “aggressive suppression of (treatments, some of them pseudoscientific, with) psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that promotes human health and cannot be patented by Pharma. If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Keep your records and 2. Pack your bags.”

The 13 agencies within HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which played a role key role during the pandemicthey have broad responsibilities, from ensuring the safety of drugs, vaccines and food to medical research and the social safety net of the Medicare (for people over 65 and people with disabilities) and Medicaid (for low-income citizens). , upon which millions of Americans depend. Among the new secretary’s plans is to fire experts from several of those agencies, according to public broadcaster PBS.

Kennedy spread unsubstantiated claims about the alleged link between childhood vaccines and autism, proposed removing fluoride from drinking water and talked about the potentially harmful effects of food dyes, but Trump gave him carte blanche to, in his own words, “ go wild” about foods, drugs, and health issues that until now were overseen by the FDA.

As a lawyer, the black sheep of The Kennedy clan has been suing major corporations, pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies for allegedly threatening or at least undermining, in his view, the health of Americans with toxic chemicals and additives, though he has denied being an anti-vaxxer despite his relationship demonstrated with Children’s Health. Defense, one of the main anti-immunization groups in the US He advocates that studies and research on the subject be made public so that people can choose which vaccines they receive, if any. In other words, immunization should be an individual decision, something that completely contradicts the herd immunity required in schools, for example.

His controversial and sometimes racist comments about Covid-19 – that’s how far he’s gone state that it was “intended to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are the Ashkenazi Jews and the Chinese” – lockdowns, vaccines and other public health issues have led him to be disowned by his immediate familyincluding his cousin Caroline—daughter of the assassin President John F. Kennedyhis uncle—and especially his sister Kerry and her son Jack Kennedywho openly mocked his ideas on social media. The former lamented her brother’s rhetoric, which she says is “an inexplicable effort” to “set fire to the memory of my father”, Senator Robert Kennedy.

In addition to his conspiracy-laden speech, very much in keeping with the circus atmosphere surrounding the incoming Trump administration, Kennedy has been the subject of scandals that seem straight out of a B-movie script, such as his recent confession that years ago , he left the body of a bear cub accidentally stepped on by a friend of his in Central Park.

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