Americans jittery while Trump chooses Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary

A vaccine skeptic and a conspiracy theorist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shockingly, is on the choice list for the Health and Human Services Secretary’s post. Most Americans might have gotten used to these kinds of shocks by now since the President-elect began his cabinet post-choosing spree.

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…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2024

The latest move is seen as yet another step towards changing the protocol, which the erstwhile Presidents had implemented to pick the team members in their Cabinets until yesterday. Trump has made a way of sorts, for implementing what most of the experts, elites, and bureaucrats in Washington’s government agencies call Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “wild” approach toward American health and medicines.

Immediate impact on the commoners

The lives of most Americans are seemingly at risk, due to Kennedy`s controversial approach towards general public health. This could be a possibility, as the vaccines are believed to be unsafe inviting only avoidable side effects, thus preventing their usage and reachability in the US masses. Also, millions could be affected, as the National Institutes of Health, which undertakes research work associated with the vaccines will be stopped, obviously if and when, his policies take shape.

His wish to dismiss about 600 such employees working in these institutions, who cover other related aspects of health apart from researching vaccines, could spell disaster. Trump`s other selections in various departments too, have invited anything but controversies in the country and abroad. However, this particular selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has an obvious and far-reaching impact on American lives.

Mixed reaction from the American spectrum

Trump`s choice for Kennedy as Health and Human Services secretary doesn’t look like an act of revenge on the agencies and institutions. At least, on the surface, this could be said for the kind of selection pattern followed while picking up other team members this time. According to a former President, this might be the case with Trump`s other team members who believe that the organizations were after Trump to get him down somehow during his first term.

But, the selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the health secretary might have long-term consequences, involving American health, on the kind of medicines consumed by the masses, apart from the treatments and drug therapies that are followed by them, nowadays.

Also, the inoculations done on the American school kids offering protection from diseases like measles, and the kind of food consumed might come under the ambit of some of the decisions the health secretary is going to take, possibly. However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might find himself an ally, in the form of Physicians who welcomed his approach towards the removal of processed foods in the schools` lunches. Also, his stance on the processed food marketed by the industries keen on making a profit is always under scanner due to their dubious role in adding disease after disease.

Trump`s second term in January is, as usual, going to ignite the issues hitherto avoided by processed food manufacturers, and will also be an affront to the science-based research of most scientists and medical experts.

In any case, if another disease-causing virus emerges during the tenure of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., undoubtedly, the minister has to find a proper solution. That kind of puts him under the scanner as many expectations to solve the problem effectively for the sake of the masses are bound to increase. It is but a fact, that the US Department of Health and Human Services secretary carries unbounded power to influence the masses, on choosing and subsequently, consuming these medicines.

Support from Trump for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The skepticism seen in the medical fraternity was, however, seemingly absent in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while he was seen holidaying at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday night.

The controversial selection spree continued while Trump had his pick for the defense post, in the form of Tulsi Gabbard, a Russian propaganda TV favorite. Meeting Syrian dictator, Bashar-al-Assad and being the nation`s top spy qualified her for the critical post, which is seen as yet another affront to the intelligence “deep state” by Trump. The fury was unabated and didn’t stop there when earlier, he dealt a hard punch on the face of the legal institutions by picking controversial congressman Matt Gaetz to be attorney general.

It was these institutions that tried to stop Gaetz only to hold him, accountable for supposedly being an opposer in the 2020 elections. Topsy turvy as his moves seem, there appears to be an underlying sense of setting issues on the right path, when his thoughts reflect his fury against the Generals who according to him, were opposing him during his first term. They, if Trump has his way, might end up working for Hegseth instead, as co-members.

Americans worried about Trump`s tumultuous ways

The Republicans have their views, however, on Trump`s working methodology when they answer the critics with, “He has a mandate” one-liner. And of course, the President-elect believes the same.

Sensing this and having borne the brunt of the present administration has turned Americans highly critical of Biden`s ways. They think that the ruling government has let them down badly and that the establishment has been anything, but workable. The reverse gear of the chain of events leads ultimately to Trump again, when he was openly in his campaigns about revenge against his opposers by being ruthless in his second term. This comes only with the unbridled power he has been bestowed with by a huge mandate.  

“Look Jake, in the election, Donald Trump won the popular vote,” Banks said. “And one of the things he promised on the campaign trail is to have a serious and thoughtful conversation about vaccines, especially after the pandemic.” This is the content of the talks Indiana Sen.-elect Jim Banks had with a reporter from a leading news channel. The reporter was asking the Senator about the kind of thinking he had on the issue, in light of criticism Kennedy faced while claiming side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, supposedly causing autism.

Many federal states within the nation were averse to closing the schools and forced lockdowns. Apart from that, American citizens during the COVID-19 desisted the masks which hampered their free breathing. Also, the opening up of the American economy which was severely affected due to the pandemic, held the Trump administration from carrying out the reforms. The Emergency declared due to the pandemic put brakes on his wish to get the economy going. It is widely believed that the President-elect has always had this picture of scientists and the experts in the administration, hampering the progress of important issues, and explaining his resentment toward them.  

The consensus build-up between the members of the administration about the health issues was irking Trump and he promised during the campaigns to blow them up. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s choice as health secretary obviously, mirrored these thoughts, apart from handing massive power to him.   

Policies traditionally followed in the nation, involving key areas like health naturally have got resistance building up in the institutions which have been following them for decades. At least, in matters like these, America today stands at a 50-50 position even when the majority has been won by Trump in all seven states, witnessing neck-to-neck battlelines being drawn up.

Mixed reactions again regarding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

To silence most of his critics, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offers to resolve the key issue by quickly studying vaccine safety and efficacy, promising meanwhile, not to “take vaccines away from anybody.” But many in the Biden administration beg to differ. “RFK Jr. has given us all the signals that he does not plan to do that, he does not plan to lean on evidence and rigorous analysis to make decisions but instead to use his ideas,” avers Dr. Ashish Jha, a former Biden administration Covid-19 coordinator and the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. He was talking to a correspondent from a leading news channel about his concern on the matter.

“I think this is an extraordinarily bad choice,” adds he in the same vein.

Controversies apart, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to carry out his recommendations regarding the safety of drinkable water with the removal of fluorides from it. Again, the medical fraternity is overjoyed at his concerns about unhealthy food in America, being a major reason behind triggering variegated and chronic diseases. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., thus, believes in their prevention if steps like the above are taken with earnestness.

If and when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had his way, he might have prevented the continuation of the measles vaccine that the kids are getting at present. At least, this is what appears from his recently aired views on the matter. “He has done so much to undermine the confidence that people have in that incredible intervention,” says Dr. Richard Besser, a practicing pediatrics. Frankly, I find it chilling,” adds the pediatrician.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s selection comes at a time when the World Health Organization and the CDC — an organization under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s radar in the future — said global measles cases surged by more than 20% to an estimated 10.3 million last year. These statistics are found alarming by a health expert and former US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director who disagrees with the selection.

Between skepticism and hope

While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overrides his vaccine skepticism with a “there is no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective,” in Lex Fridman’s podcast last year. In December 2023, he told a correspondent from a news channel that he “would be against mandates” for children in public schools.

Many like CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen think otherwise, while opining “I think we have a very short memory of what it is like to hold a child who has been paralyzed with polio or to comfort a mom who’s lost her kid from measles.” The CDC Director said at the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit. Talking to a correspondent from a news channel, the Director had positive views about the childhood vaccines.

Till November, 266 measles cases have been reported with 16 new outbreaks. This is when the conservatives have expressed their concern regarding a dip in the vaccination rates among kids after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Republicans under pressure

Pressure is indeed building up for the Senators if a possibility of defections among the Republican lawmakers becomes a reality. That would spell trouble for the Trump administration, as he has a weak GOP hold even when he comes back in January, with a strong mandate behind him. Choosing Gaetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has only added to the resistance build-up in the future administration echelons. All this, in the backdrop of an FBI investigation and also being subjected to a House Ethics Committee probe in the former case and weakening stance amongst the Senators while facing the President-elect.

Amidst the wait for the confirmations of the posts, the mindset of the moderates amongst the Republicans does matter. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might have to watch the situation unfolding in this case, in the GOP coalition when some of the members might go for pre-mature retirement who anyway aren’t very loyal to Trump.