Understanding the Implications of RFK Jr. Being Our Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Secretary of Health and Human Services serves as the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This title encompasses a broad spectrum of important tasks which include but are not limited to: overseeing agencies like the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration; shaping and enforcing national health policies; providing access to healthcare; and coordinating federal responses to pandemics. In short, the HSS Secretary is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the well-being of millions of Americans across the country. Given the immense scope and responsibility allotted to this position, it is imperative that the one who holds it upholds the standard it demands. This includes a deep understanding of science, public health, and effective governance. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., our current HSS Secretary, falls short of all these qualifications. His alignment with Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again base suggests not only shortsightedness, but also political opportunism, as he has likely weighed the benefits of gaining Trump’s voter block over maintaining scientific integrity. This alliance underscores a willingness to trade public health for political power, which raises other questions in addition to his lack of expertise in welfare services. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, built his career as an environmental lawyer and activist, founding the Waterkeeper Alliance, the world’s largest clean water advocacy group. However, achievements in environmental advocacy do not directly translate into qualifications to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, especially considering how the HHS Secretary demands expertise in public health, medical policy, and crisis management—areas in which Kennedy Jr. has no meaningful experience. Rather, his “healthcare” career in recent decades has been marked by the pattern of spreading misinformation, promoting conspiracy theories that dispel trust in science, and decreasing millions of Americans’ trust in the HHS. In fact, polling data shows that public trust in vaccines and federal health agencies has declined in recent years, a trend worsened by Kennedy Jr.’s platform and harmful rhetoric. This measurable drop to a 39 percent trust rate in Kennedy Jr. not only serves as a deeper-than-surface-level concern but also as a tangible harm inflicted on the nation’s health. His long history of promoting anti-vaccine misinformation, undermining trust in scientific institutions, and lacking meaningful administrative experience render him unfit to lead the department whose main task is to protect America’s health. This combination of inexperience and harmful rhetoric renders Kennedy Jr. as profoundly unqualified to oversee the nation’s most important health institutions. 

Arguably, one of the core responsibilities of the HHS Secretary is to uphold the respect and trust of the public. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long record of promoting anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories directly undermines this responsibility. In particular, he promoted a false association that childhood vaccines were correlated with autism for years and instilled a harmful distrust in effective vaccines for many Americans. This unproven claim was first introduced in 1998 by researcher Dr. Andrew Wakefield. However, his original paper was later retracted, and his claims have been refuted time and time again by multiple subsequent studies.   

The scientific consensus is that there is no link between vaccines and autism, and Kennedy Jr.’s argument with these credited claims casts serious doubt on his judgment and suitability for a role responsible for public health. Furthermore, his recent announcement that HHS will conduct massive testing and research to determine the cause of autism—with the implied goal of linking it to vaccinations—raises concerns about whether this may be a weaponization of the department’s resources to alter science to fit a political narrative. In this case, the narrative is one that fits with anti-vaccine ideology and Trump-aligned skepticism of mainstream science, which seeks to discredit medical consensus for political gain. Furthermore, Kennedy Jr.’s hiring of David Geier, a man whom the state of Maryland found responsible for practicing medicine on a child without a doctor’s license and one who has also promoted the unclaimed “link” between vaccines and autism, as senior data analyst for this experiment only deepens concerns about the credibility and scientific rigor of the HHS under Kennedy Jr. This erosion of trust has real world consequences: declining vaccination rates have already contributed to resurgences of preventable diseases like measles, threatening public safety.  

Beyond his claims on vaccines, Kennedy Jr. has also repeatedly attacked public water fluoridation, claiming it to be harmful to human health, despite decades of research showing that fluoride at recommended levels prevents tooth decay and is safe for consumption. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and has been added to water supplies in many countries, including the United States. Kennedy Jr. has claimed on X that fluoride is “associated with bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.” One may argue that Kennedy Jr.’s efforts were not an outright condemnation of water fluoridation, but rather allowing a further investigation to ensure that an adequate safety margin is being upheld. However, his claims were entirely unbacked by factual evidence. By promoting such unsubstantiated claims, Kennedy Jr. further risks pushing public fear and mistrust in a core public health initiative. Studies have shown that communities without fluoridated water see significantly higher rates of cavities, a fact ignored by Kennedy Jr.’s unfounded claims. By denying proven science, he threatens both children’s health and long-term public well-being. 

Trump’s decision to appoint Kennedy Jr. also reflects a broader pattern of rewarding political allies over qualified experts, a hallmark of the so-called “Old Boys Club.” Similar to how Elon Musk was given authority over the Department of Government Efficiency without prior political or public administrative experience, Kennedy Jr.’s appointment illustrates how loyalty and political expediency are prioritized over competence and expertise. This undermines the integrity of HHS and weakens public trust at a national level. 

The role of the HHS Secretary demands someone who is well-versed in public health, has sound judgment, and prioritizes maintaining public trust—someone who chooses facts over unproven opinions and upholds the standard for health by all means. Kennedy Jr. has consistently promoted debunked theories in the realm of serious health concerns and does not hold the expertise needed in order to fulfill such a significant role. Leadership of the HHS must be grounded in science, credibility, and responsibility—qualities that Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly failed to demonstrate. Given the damage Kennedy Jr. has already caused to public health, it is clear that steps must be taken to ensure that no more harmful policies or misinformation are brought about. Kennedy Jr. should resign or be removed from his position, and credible scientific leadership must be reinstated. Only then can trust in America’s health institutions begin to be rebuilt.