Former 'deputy' opposes Trump's choice for health secretary

Former US Vice President Mike Pence is urging Republican senators to reject President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 14 his nomination of Mr. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Kennedy Jr. is the son of the late Senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. He ran as an independent candidate in the last presidential election but later withdrew and supported Mr. Trump.

Former US Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event in Washington DC (USA) on March 31, 2023

Photo: Reuters

Kennedy Jr. has been known for his conspiracy theories and questioning of scientific research, according to The Guardian . He is one of the most prominent anti-vaccine figures in the US, claiming to know more about the disease than scientists. However, on November 15, Pence raised another issue to oppose the nomination of Kennedy Jr. Pence said that making Kennedy Secretary of HHS would be an "abrupt change" from the anti-abortion stance of Trump's first term, and that it would worry millions of Republican Americans, according to Newsweek. Pence explained that for most of his career, Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) defended abortion on demand throughout the nine months of pregnancy. "If confirmed, RFK Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican-appointed HHS Secretary in modern history," Pence added. He called on Republican senators to reject the nomination. It was not immediately clear how Trump would respond to Pence's call. Many have questioned whether some of Trump's controversial cabinet appointments — such as Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary and Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general — would receive enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate, Newsweek reported. Republicans took control of the Senate after the 2024 election, but some have expressed reservations about some of Trump's appointments. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump loyalist, told CNN on November 15 that if Republican senators choose to block appointments like Kennedy Jr., they will have to deal with Trump, Elon Musk and his super PAC, and the American people, Newsweek reported.

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