( Spanish) – The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last Thursday as his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The member of the Kennedy dynasty will seek “to ensure that everyone is protected from the harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in this country,” Trump said in his account of
Kennedy Jr. thanked the selection and in a message on X promised “clean up corruption and end the revolving doors between industry and government to once again make Americans the healthiest people in the world.”
The proposal – which still must be confirmed by the Senate – adds to the list of controversial selections of the president-elect since the Department of Health would be headed by one of the most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists in the United States for years.
He was born on January 17, 1954 in Washington. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who were assassinated in 1963 and 1968, respectively.
Kennedy Jr. has seven children and is married to renowned American actress Cheryl Hines.
He has a bachelor’s degree in history and American literature from Harvard University and attended the London School of Economics and Political Science, according to his biography on the Congress page.
He also has a law degree from the University of Virginia and studied at Pace University, where he completed a master’s degree in Environmental Law.
In 1982, Kennedy Jr. began working as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and was subsequently admitted to the New York State Bar. according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Much of his career has been dedicated to environmental activism.
He worked as a volunteer with the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association (now known as Riverkeeper), a nonprofit organization that sought to clean up the Hudson River in New York and take legal action against government entities and companies that have polluted it.
In 1997 he played a crucial role in one of Riverkeeper’s most important achievements during the negotiation of a New York City watershed memorandum to protect the upstate reservoir system as well as the quality of the New York City’s drinking water. city.
That same year, Kennedy public the book “The Riverkeepers,” with environmental activist John Cronin, about their work in the organization. Two years later, Time magazine profiled their work and named them “heroes of the planet,” according to British.
Kennedy Jr. is co-founder of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic and founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a drinking water advocacy group.
Besides, founded the Children’s Health Defense organization, a nonprofit activist group known for anti-vaccine misinformation. Kennedy has been one of the most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists and has frequently spread false conspiracy theories about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.
In April 2023 he launched his campaign seeking the Democratic Party nomination and then as an independent candidate. One of its main banners was to reverse “the epidemic of chronic diseases.” He proposed numerous policies aimed at reforming food and environmental safety guidelines, promoting holistic medicines, and restructuring public funding for vaccine research.
In the final days of Kennedy’s campaign, he met with Trump on multiple occasions, where they discussed the possibility of Kennedy endorsing Trump in exchange for a role in his administration. Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump that same day.
Since Election Day, Kennedy has promised to take major steps to overhaul the country’s public health guidelines. Last week he said he would “immediately” begin studying the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, but promised not to “take vaccines away from anyone.” He also pledged to formally recommend states and municipalities remove fluoride from public water.
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