Trump taps RFK Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services

President-elect Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in his announcement Thursday. 

“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump added.

The announcement comes just over a week after Trump won back the presidency.

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Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, shake hands during a campaign rally in Glendale, Ariz., Aug. 23. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

RFK Jr. joined the 2024 campaign cycle as a candidate for the Oval Office. Kennedy, who is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dropped out of the presidential election in August after initially running as a Democrat, before he switched to an independent run. 

He endorsed Trump shortly after suspending his campaign, hitting the campaign trail for the Trump-Vance ticket while touting his plans to “Make America Healthy Again” under a potential Trump presidency. 

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He also spoke during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally last month, where he unleashed on the current state of the Democratic Party. 

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks before Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans. It’s a party that is dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,” he said. 

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“It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney.” 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waves to the crowd at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Kennedy was asked about his potential role in the next White House and whether he would begin “clearing out the top level federal service workers that are currently at the FDA and the CDC.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz.

He continued, “In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it’s got two or three?” 

This isn’t the first time Kennedy was considered for a Cabinet position for a presidential administration. Back in 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama reportedly strongly considered naming Kennedy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Politico reported at the time.  

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Transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt joined Fox News earlier Thursday, where she noted more Cabinet picks would likely be announced later that afternoon, and also noted that Kennedy is a “once in a generation thought leader” who would likely be offered a position in the administration. 

“Certainly President Trump wants to find a place for RFK JR. He has made that very clear throughout the campaign. RFK JR. is a once in a generation thought leader. He’s an independent mind, a critical thinker. We definitely need more of that in Washington, D.C. As for his specific position, I’ll let President Trump announce that. But RFK Jr will focus in the Trump administration on making America healthy again. That’s another promise that President Trump made on the campaign trail and with an appointment of RFK JR. to whatever position President Trump decides. That promise will be delivered upon,” Leavitt said. 

Earlier this week, Kennedy called on ordinary Americans to make suggestions about what policies and people should be put in place under Trump’s second administration, with Kennedy allies launching a website called “Policies for the People” to facilitate the suggestions from voters. 

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The website says that the suggestions will help fill the over 4,000 appointments across the entire executive branch.

“President Trump has asked Bobby [Kennedy] to help ‘drain the swamp’ by giving him an influential leadership role on his transition team,” a post on the website says. “But Bobby cannot do this alone, so he is now turning to the wisdom and expertise of his supporters – and the larger community.”

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the PPG Paints Arena on Nov. 4, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The website is similar to what tech billionaire Elon Musk has said about “maximum transparency” related to his upcoming role co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Known as “DOGE,” the task force will “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies,” Trump said earlier this week. 

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“All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency. Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know! We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” Musk posted to X of how DOGE will operate. 

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.