President-elect Donald Trump has managed to do something that hasn’t been done since his last time in office. His postelection Cabinet picks so far, specifically, his choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services, have brought a seemingly bipartisan feeling of displeasure.
When I came across an article written by the New York Post’s Editorial Board that lambasted this decision, I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was in my right mind. Considering the side of the political spectrum the New York Post is usually on, I thought the article would be a parody of the overreaction of Democrats to what was actually a shrewd political decision aimed at undermining the Federal Reserve. Yet when I read the article, I did not sense a hint of satire.
To give credit where credit is due, Kennedy has a pretty impressive track record as an environmental prosecutor. He earned the title of “Hero for the Planet” from Time magazine in 1999 for his leading role in the cleanup of the Hudson River and has worked with Riverkeeper, who has ensured the safety of New York’s drinking water for the better part of the century. Besides this, he founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit focused on protecting global waterways, and was a proponent of Indigenous American communities and their concerns about the now inactive Keystone XL pipeline, which I must note that Trump attempted to bring back to life during his last administration.
This all begs the question: Why choose Kennedy to be secretary of Health and Human Services — a position he seemingly has little relevant experience in — as opposed to making him head of the Environmental Protection Agency? However, to be honest, it’s not really a mystery as to why Trump may not want to place one of his close allies at the head of an agency that he hopes to gut from stem to stern. This should highlight, with a bright neon-yellow highlighter, what Trump is seeking to accomplish with his various Cabinet picks — putting his lackeys at the head of various departments and organizations which he hopes to bend to his will or completely dismantling them from within.
Considering what Kennedy may pursue during his tenure, at least when looking at the track record of his comments on health-related issues, it’s a mixed bag. For instance, it’s hard to disagree with his opposition to the usage of high fructose corn syrup and many other harmful additives in American food. The widespread adoption of high fructose corn syrup and other harmful chemicals has done a good deal of harm to people in the United States, and this is a fact backed up by many nutritionists. Here as well, he is at odds with Trump, who not only indulges in the many foods which contain these additives but was during his last term a champion of deregulation, which is directly at odds with introducing new regulations to limit the usage of various chemicals.
In what is also sure to be a caricature of the upcoming administration, Kennedy was pictured with Trump and a number of his close confidants eating McDonald’s. Donald Trump Jr., who was among those in the picture, confirmed the fact that Kennedy was convinced to partake in the meal he was pictured with during a podcast the following day, putting a bow on the hilarious image of hypocrisy.
It’s not just hypocrisy either: Kennedy’s (half-worm-eaten) brain is seemingly a well of conspiracy. He has, for a while now, been a super spreader of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories: a reputation that already sent Big Pharma stocks into a bit of a spiral practically right after his selection and a stance that he walked back a day after Trump’s victory. Of course, Big Pharma going into a tailspin might be something that this country needs in the long run, but that’s an argument for another day. Moreover, Kennedy is likely never going to actually go after a roughly $500-billion industry that is so deeply entrenched in almost all aspects of American society.
The list does not stop at his flip-floppy stance on vaccines, as he has also let it be known that he does totally normal things like drink raw milk and proclaim that Wi-Fi opens up a person's blood-brain barrier and allows for radiation to seep in — both of which are hotly contested by actual scientists and health professionals.
There is much more I could talk about as it relates to his wild conspiracy theories, potential consumption of roadkill or any of his other craziness, but sadly, I can only drag this article on for so long. So while I have my opinion of Kennedy and his competency as it relates to the job which he has been pegged for, a position that oversees a number of federal agencies which Trump holds a deep hatred towards, I encourage everyone to do their own research and come up with their own conclusion on the matter.
