Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccination advocate, said former President Trump would want him to be selected to lead key public health agencies if he wins the November election.
Kennedy told conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that Trump would have a responsibility in a second term to rid government of “corrupt influences.” First reported by Mediaite.
“President Trump asked me to do two things specifically. One, uncover the corrupt influences that have taken control of our government. In other words, clean up the swamp. And, you know, I had to say something about President Trump,” Kennedy told Carlson.
Kennedy named the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as potential agencies on Tuesday during a visit to Wisconsin for Carlson's live tour.
According to The Hill, Kennedy and Trump discussed conspiracy theories about poisonous childhood vaccines in a video posted to social media earlier this year.
In a separate interview with Carlson last month, Kennedy said he had asked to join the transition team if Trump serves a second term.
Caroline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said it was “premature” to discuss who would run a second Trump administration.
“President Trump has announced the Trump-Vance transition leadership group to begin the post-election preparation process. However, it is too early to have any formal discussions about who will serve in a second Trump administration. President Trump will select the best people for his Cabinet to help repair all the damage that Kamala Harris has done to our country,” she said.
Democrats and public health officials raised the alarm earlier this month about the possibility that Kennedy could become secretary of Health and Human Services in Trump's second term. At the time, The Hill reported that Trump had not said whether, if at all, he would offer Kennedy a Cabinet position.
