President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ― an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who formerly competed against Trump for the White House ― to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Politico and CNN reported Thursday.
Kennedy, who ran as an independent against Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris before suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump, is an environmental lawyer who espouses fringe, disproven claims that vaccines cause autism and a range of other medical conditions.
Earlier this month, he said on social media that the Trump administration would advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water, falsely claiming that it’s linked to “arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
Experts say the amount of fluoride in water systems does not pose any of the health threats Kennedy claims. A 2017 study found that fluoride in water systems saves Americans more than $6 billion a year in dental costs.
Democracy In The Balance
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Trump has suggested he’ll let Kennedy oversee a major overhaul of American health guidelines.
“I’m going to let him go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on the medicines,” Trump said at a campaign rally last month.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.