Donald Trump on Monday defended his choice of Robert Kennedy Jr as next Minister of Health, despite controversies surrounding the anti-vaccine positions of this former environmental law lawyer.
Asked what he would say to parents worried that an anti-vaccine policy of “RFK Jr” could put their children at risk, the future American president declared during a press conference: “I think he will be much less radical than you might think.”
“I think he’s open-minded, or I wouldn’t have put him there – he’ll be a lot less radical,” assured Donald Trump from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Robert Kennedy Jr, nephew of the assassinated President “JFK”, was for a time an independent candidate in the November presidential election before joining Donald Trump. His nomination must be subject to a confirmation vote in the Senate.
This former environmental lawyer has spread conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines and alleged links between vaccination and autism, and calls for an end to the addition of fluoride to running water, yet considered a great health success in the fight against dental caries.
Despite his hostile positions on vaccines, RFK Jr assured that he did not want to take away the possibility of being vaccinated from people who wish it.
On Monday, Donald Trump also spoke of an increase, according to him, in cases of autism in recent years.
“Thirty years ago, we had — I heard figures like one case in 200,000, one case in 100,000, and now I hear figures like one case in 100 — so something is wrong,” he responded to a question about RFK Jr’s claims regarding these supposed links between vaccination and autism – widely refuted by the scientific community.
The future president, however, claimed to be “a big supporter” of the polio vaccine, but said he was opposed to any compulsory vaccination by schools.
“I don’t like bonds,” he said.
Donald Trump also said he had spoken to RFK Jr. and the bosses of big pharmaceutical companies about drug prices, and that he would bring them down “to levels never seen before.”
“We pay way too much, because we pay way more than other countries,” he said.
The Republican assured that his administration would “eliminate the middlemen” who according to him “earn more money than pharmaceutical companies”.
