Donald Trump names Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Minister of Health

Donald Trump announced Thursday that he would appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former vaccine skeptic lawyer known for spreading conspiracy theories, as Minister of Health.

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the food industry and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception and misinformation when it comes to public health,” President-elect Donald Trump said on his social network Truth Social .

Under his leadership, the ministry “will play a big role in ensuring that everyone is protected from the dangerous chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and food additives that have contributed to the enormous health crisis in this country », Wrote the president-elect on the social network

The nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, a former environmental law lawyer with no scientific training, has forged an unlikely alliance with the 78-year-old tribune since he gave up being an independent presidential candidate in August.

He has spread conspiracy theories, notably about Covid-19 vaccines, and calls for an end to the addition of fluoride to running water. This measure intended to prevent cavities is considered by the medical community as one of the greatest health successes of the 20th century in the United States.

No question for Donald Trump of repeating what he described as the “biggest mistake” of his first term (2017-2021), in a podcast recorded at the end of October with the very influential Joe Rogan, namely choosing “people who were not loyal.

“Trump’s choices meet two criteria: loyalty and rupture,” analyzes for AFP Todd Belt, professor of political science at George Washington University. He wants to surround himself with followers who “are not going to spend their time telling him what he cannot do.”

The positions of Treasury Secretary, Foreign Trade Officer and White House Spokesperson, among others, still remain to be filled. The president-elect, who will take office on January 20, had already sent shock waves on Wednesday with his choices for the Directorate of Intelligence and for the Ministry of Justice.

These appointments will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Republican senators are certainly in the majority, but some seem unenthusiastic about the designated personalities. Thus Tulsi Gabbard, a defector from the Democratic Party known for her favorable positions on Russia, as director of Intelligence.

She joined the conservative camp during a Donald Trump rally in October, describing the Republican, standing beside her with an approving smile, as a “president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace.”

The announcement that, by far, made the most waves was that of Matt Gaetz as Minister of Justice. This thunderous Trumpist, who was suspected of relations with an underage girl, led the overthrow of the Republican boss of the House of Representatives in the fall of 2022, sowing enormous political chaos.

Donald Trump, except for a whirlwind visit to Washington on Wednesday, has been holed up since his victory at his Florida residence. According to the press, he chooses his lieutenants by watching televised speeches by the candidates.

His first term had been a succession of spectacular dismissals. Several former advisors or ministers publicly turned against him subsequently.

This time, the 45th and soon 47th President of the United States favors personalities who sometimes have no experience of the state apparatus, but who support it without reservation. Like Elon Musk, who will lead a commission to reduce public spending and deregulation, the legal contours of which remain unclear.

Several future ministers or advisors are regular guests on the conservatives’ favorite channel, Fox News. Donald Trump, himself a former reality TV star and a big television consumer, “likes people who look good on screen – that’s very important to him,” says Todd Belt.

To lead the Pentagon, Donald Trump chose a Fox News host, Pete Hegseth. The appointment of this former soldier, with no experience of high-level command, was a huge surprise. The future president, however, made a choice that contrasts with this quest for absolute loyalty: Florida senator Marco Rubio, with whom he has had conflicting relations in the past, must lead diplomacy.