Trump nominates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary

President-elect Donald Trump tapped independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy will restore transparency and top-tier research to the HHS, Trump wrote in the nomination announcement. The pick comes as no surprise after previous hints from Trump about appointing Kennedy as a health leader. Kennedy became an ardent ally of the president-elect by the end of the campaign after his own failed run for the White House.

What kind of medical experience does RFK Jr. have? The nephew of President John F. Kennedy baked health and fitness into his public brand. The 70-year-old regularly shared footage of himself staying active and exercising in the gym. However, Kennedy made waves before leaving the Democratic Party due to his critical take on vaccines. Though he insists he is not anti-vaccine, he alleges vaccines can cause children to develop autism. He also penned a book alleging that former National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci conspired with Bill Gates and pharmaceutical companies to sell COVID-19 vaccines.

Kennedy’s nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, filed several lawsuits accusing media outlets of spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 virus and vaccines. Analysts question whether the Senate will approve Kennedy, given his opinion on vaccines.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry and Travis K. Kircher’s report on Trump nominating Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general.