Former president Donald Trump expressed willingness to follow through with an anti-fluoridation proposal put forward by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite the universal recognition by health groups of the safety and benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water.
In a social media post Saturday, Kennedy, widely known for his anti-vaccination views and his now-defunct White House run, said a new Trump administration would push to ban the practice by cities quickly.
“On Jan. 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy said, before asserting, without evidence, it caused various ailments.
NBC News on Sunday reported that Trump, who has said Kennedy would play a big role in health care policy if he wins the presidential election, appeared to have no qualms with Kennedy’s post.
“Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds OK to me,” Trump said when asked about that plan. “You know, it’s possible.”
Fluoridation has been shown to help prevent tooth disease. The American Dental Association calls fluoridation “a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay and has played a major role in in [sic] improving the public’s dental health for more than 70 years.”
Other health care groups supporting fluoridation include the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the Centers on Disease Control, which called it one of the major achievements in public health in the 20th century.
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Trump also told NBC he was open to banning some vaccines, a stance long taken by Kennedy, who has blamed them for rising autism, a linkage dismissed by medical community.
“Well I’m going to talk to [Kennedy] and talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” Trump said.