Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in the oval office on Thursday as the country's best health officer, completing the unlikely arc for anti-vaccine activists and former Democratic presidential candidates .
President Trump welcomed Kennedy and praised him for bringing a diverse coalition of support with him when he stopped bidding to join forces with him.
“He worked really hard and had incredible support, and when we decided to do a merger, I think a lot of that support is my way.” Trump said. “And it was really amazing. And it was so loyal, so loyal and incredible people.”
Trump then signed an executive order to establish a new committee with Kennedy as chairman, “to make America healthy again.” The committee will investigate the causes of decades-long rise in chronic childhood diseases, Trump said.
“He removed dangerous chemicals from our environment and from our food supplies, and to the American people, years after our public health system wasted the trust of our citizens. “We are absolutely committed to giving the American people the answer that is appropriate,” Trump said.
Kennedy was sworn by Supreme Court Judge Neil Gorsuch. He joined his wife, Cheryl Hines and other families in the oval office, including Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.), Officer Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Rand Paul (R- Ky.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
Marshall is the founder of the Senate Make America Healthy Again Caucus.
Kennedy has vowed to implement a positive agenda focused on “fundamental transparency” and “end of corruption” for health agencies.
“Our plan is radical transparency and return of gold standard science [to] End NIH, FDA, CDC and Corruption and End Corporate Capture [of] These agencies remove people with panels with conflicts of interest,” Kennedy said. “We can do science that is not decorated and unhindered, not the kind of product that comes out of those institutions.”
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 13 separate agencies, and Kennedy has long argued that they desperately need reforms.
Last year he pledged to fire 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health, the nation's largest funder for biomedical research.
In an October post on X, ahead of the election, Kennedy vowed to shake up the “corrupted” Food and Drug Administration.
“If you're working for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, you have two messages: 1. Save the record, 2.
Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate early Thursday with a 52-48 vote after months of debate about his eligibility. Kennedy's confirmation served as a key test of Republican loyalty to President Trump.
The founder of one of the nation's most prominent anti-vaccine groups will implement the country's vaccine policy, just a portion of its nearly $2 trillion federal health portfolio.
Only Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) has voted a GOP vote to confirm Kennedy after he defeated the party previously at Trump's Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence.
Kennedy on Thursday again denied that he was an anti-vaccine and the only safety he was.
“We need to test the vaccine. We need to be safe. Everyone should have informed consent,” Kennedy said.
