Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr.: the anti-vaccine activist and heir to the Kennedy dynasty whom Trump has chosen to lead the Health Department
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- Author, draft
- Author title, bbc news world
The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, this Thursday appointed the controversial Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services of his government.
The 70-year-old lawyer is one of the descendants of the Kennedy dynasty and, as Trump said in a message on foods that have contributed to the massive health crisis in this country.
His appointment, lacking confirmation in the Senate, is one of the most controversial appointments made by a President-elect.
Kennedy is the nephew of the assassinated president. John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the son of Senator Robert Kennedy, who was also assassinated. But his popularity is due more to his controversial anti-vaccine stance and resonance with many conspiracy theories.
He ran as an independent presidential candidate in the 2024 elections, but canceled his campaign a few months before the vote and began supporting Trump.
elected president, who He will start his tenure from January 20promised that his Health Secretary would protect the interests of citizens against “fraud and misinformation by the food industrial complex and pharmaceutical companies.”
He assured that his goal would be to “end the epidemic of chronic disease and make America great and healthy again.”
Kennedy Jr. thanked him for the appointment with a message on the social network Healthy of the World.”
We tell you who has been chosen to take charge of the health sector in the North American country.
From opponent to Trump ally
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Born in 1954 in Washington, DC, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of former Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy, who had a reputation as a rebel in the family, had trouble with the law in his youth and abused cocaine and heroin for years.
After a career spanning more than 40 years as an environmental lawyer, he has generated controversy for himself in recent years. Critical attitude towards vaccines and for leading movements that question the regulation and safety of pharmaceutical products.
Kennedy ran for president as an independent candidate after initially running in the Democratic primary.
His campaign was full of bizarre stories that made headlines, including that in 2014 he dumped a dead baby bear after being hit by a car in New York’s Central Park.
At the end He suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump He attributed his failure in August to media censorship and efforts by his former party, the Democrats, to thwart his candidacy.
He has since promised to “make America healthy again” under President Trump, as expressed in his slogan.
anti vaccine activist
Kennedy founded the organization in 2007 protect children’s healthAn entity dedicated to exposing harmful practices in the pharmaceutical industry and vaccine production.
This NGO, which promotes the elimination of certain chemicals in consumer products, is considered a hazardous source by the scientific community. Misinformation about vaccines,
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He has published several books, including “The Real Anthony Fauci” (“The Real Anthony Fauci”, in reference to who was the head of immunology during the pandemic) and “A Letter to Liberals” (“A Letter to Progressives”). Are included. ,
In his publications, Kennedy makes controversial arguments regarding the alleged negative effects of vaccines and conflicts of interest in the American healthcare system.
One of the false claims he has repeated over the years is that there is a link between autism and vaccines, which has been debunked by numerous studies conducted by reputable scientists.
In addition to Anthony Fauci, Kennedy has also focused his attention on public figures such as Bill Gates and Joe Biden, whom he accuses Falsifying information about the COVID-19 pandemic For the benefit of private interests.
In 2021, Kennedy was the executive producer of “Vaxed II: The People’s Truth”, a sequel to the documentary Vaxxed, directed by former doctor Andrew Wakefield and known for starting the anti-vaccine movement.
Kennedy’s stance on vaccines has generated controversy not only in the scientific field, but also within his own family.
Some members of his family have publicly expressed their disagreement, saying that his views and activities in protecting children’s health have dangerous consequences for public health.
Despite this background, Kennedy has denied being against vaccines and said last week that, if Trump appointed him responsible for public health, he would “not take vaccines away from anyone.”
environmental lawyer
Kennedy also has an extensive career as an activist and lawyer defending environmental issues.
Since the 1980s he has worked as a consultant and attorney, conducting litigation for organizations such as Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). In defense of environmental rights Individuals and groups versus large companies.
In 1999 he founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that brings together hundreds of groups fighting to protect water bodies around the world.
Through his law firm, Kennedy & Madonna LLP, he took on major environmental pollution cases.
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In 2007, he was named “Lawyer of the Year” by the Public Justice Organization after securing a US$396 million verdict against the DuPont Company for pollution in West Virginia.
It also highlights the agreement reached in 2017 US$670 million against MonsantoThe health of residents of Ohio and West Virginia was harmed after a plant of this food multinational company.
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