Sunday morning, Donald Trump stated the obvious. If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wins, “he will have a big role in the administration.” And some of RFK Jr.’s most outrageous ideas, including banning certain vaccines and removing fluoride from drinking water, may end up on the table.
President Trump told NBC News reporter Dasha Burns that he contacted him by phone just 48 hours before Election Day. This is not the first time Trump has suggested that Kennedy could wield enormous power. At a campaign rally last Sunday, Trump said he would let the conspiracy theorist and failed presidential candidate “go crazy with his health” if he re-entered the White House. house. (Kennedy also recently said that Trump had promised him control of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture.) But Trump’s recent comments make it clear just how far he is willing to let RFK Jr. go.
When Burns asked Trump on Sunday whether he would actually push to remove fluoride from drinking water, as RFK Jr. claimed on Saturday, Trump reportedly responded: okay. “You know it’s possible.”
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, fluoride prevents dental cavities, and “consistent, low levels of fluoride” are needed to keep teeth healthy.
And when Burns asked Trump whether he would allow RFK Jr. to ban certain vaccines, the Republican candidate said: “He is a very talented man with strong opinions.” As my colleague Julia Métraux reported, RFK Jr. has signaled opposition to several vaccines, including those against COVID-19, hepatitis B and the flu.
Trump’s comments are a reminder that RFK Jr.’s appointment to a high-level federal position could cause havoc and the types of people the Republican candidate would appoint to key positions if he wins. As David Corn points out, RFK Jr. spread anti-vaccine misinformation related to the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019.
If you think it’s rough, just wait. If Trump wins, he will appoint people like RFK throughout the government, many of whom have ambitious plans to roll back America’s health regulations. As my colleague Anna Merlan reports, Project 2025, the extremist right-wing guidebook to Trump’s second term, calls for dismantling the CDC and demonizing the National Institutes of Health. In other words, RFK Jr.’s ban on vaccines and fluoride may be just the beginning.
