Trump chooses Kennedy as Secretary of Health

US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he has chosen Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

President-elect Trump said he was pleased to choose Robert Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the incoming administration.

"The health and safety of all Americans is the most important role of any administration, and HHS will play a major role in helping ensure that everyone is protected from the toxic chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and food additives that contribute to the massive health crisis in this country," Trump said in a social media post.

Mr. Kennedy Jr. and Mr. Trump at an event in Georgia in October.

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 in the last presidential election but later withdrew and endorsed Mr. Trump.

Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer by profession, has made headlines 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.

Kennedy Jr. has linked vaccines to autism in children, questioned whether HIV actually causes AIDS, linked certain antidepressants to an increase in school shootings, and linked the use of certain herbicides to an increase in transgender youth.

HHS oversees the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Kennedy Jr. is a member of Trump’s transition team and has been vetting candidates for positions at HHS, Reuters reported, suggesting he would streamline the FDA’s 18,000-person workforce and replace hundreds of employees at the NIH.

More positions for Trump 2.0 administration

Also on November 14, Mr. Trump selected former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the court that often handles major financial fraud cases.

He nominated former Georgia congressman Doug Collins as secretary of veterans affairs and his attorney Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-chon-ong-kennedy-lam-bo-truong-y-te-185241115065022985.htm