More Than 300 Scientists, Physicians Sign Online Letter Supporting RFK Jr. For HHS Secretary

More than 300 scientists and physicians signed a letter in support for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“The cornerstone of scientific progress has always been the fearless pursuit of truth through rigorous inquiry and open debate,” the letter reads. “We want the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to champion people with concerns about their health, chronic diseases, health policies, and environmental toxins, and who will not avoid discussing contentious issues.”

The open letter still soliciting signatures is endorsed by 331 names as of Friday morning, but it lists no organization behind the effort. Prominent professionals who’ve signed the document include vaccine scientist Dr. Robert Malone, Cleveland Clinic adviser Dr. Mark Hyman, and Nina Teicholz, Ph.D. in nutrition and a bestselling author who promoted the letter on X.

“Irrespective of whether we all agree with all of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s positions and beliefs, it is clear that he believes in the scientific method and the right to further investigation and constructive discourse,” the letter says.

A ‘Complicated Confirmation’

National Public Radio (NPR) reported Tuesday that Kennedy is among Trump’s nominees who face a “complicated confirmation” with opposition from senators across both sides of the aisle for the cross-party cabinet pick. Hawaii Democrat Gov. Josh Green, a physician, called Kennedy “dangerous” in a January op-ed for The New York Times over the nominee’s criticism of vaccines, while former Republican Vice President Mike Pence urged senators to vote no on Kennedy over abortion.

“I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of Pro-Life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades,” Pence said shortly after Kennedy was nominated.

In an interview with The Federalist last week, however, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin who featured Kennedy at a Senate roundtable on nutrition last fall, said he was “still optimistic” that Trump’s pick for HHS would be confirmed. Johnson, a member of the Senate Finance Committee assigned to consider the nomination first, even said it’s “certainly possible” and even “hopeful” that Kennedy could pull votes from Democrats after meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Semafor reported last week that members of the incoming administration’s transition team are similarly optimistic given the crossover appeal of Kennedy among members of both parties. A December poll found Americans across political stripes are broadly supportive of Kennedy’s policy platform, even if views are polarized about Kennedy himself.

More than two-thirds of both Republicans and Democrats who participated in a YouGov survey said they supported plans to ban certain additives from the food supply, eliminate ultra-processed foods from school lunches, increase restrictions on agricultural pesticides, fund research for holistic health care, and require nutrition curriculums in federally funded medical schools.

Americans were less enthusiastic about Kennedy’s support for lifting restrictions on raw milk and the removal of fluoride from public water supplies. His prominent criticism of fluoride and vaccines, meanwhile, hold potential to spook senators from handing him the keys to run a nearly $2 trillion agency. Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, Fox News contributor, and author of the book, Make America Healthy Again, told The Federalist in an email last week that “his well-documented skepticism towards vaccines and other health issues are a significant deterrent for many.”

“His views could alienate senators who see vaccines as a cornerstone of public health policy, potentially leading to a contentious confirmation process,” she said. While Kennedy has backed away from prior comments related to vaccines, she added, “he will have to convince physician members of the Senate and others that this is not a ploy to garner votes, rather he should lay out a specific plan on how he will improve the safety of vaccines and how access will not be impacted by whatever measures he plans to implement.”

Dr. Saphier was not a signatory of the letter circulating in support of Kennedy as of Friday morning.

One such lawmaker Kennedy has tried to convince is Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician who has been publicly critical of the HHS nominee’s views about vaccines. Cassidy said on “Fox News Sunday” three days before the pair met that Kennedy was “wrong” about vaccine safety. The Louisiana senator, who has yet to endorse Trump’s pick for HHS, told reporters after the meeting that they discussed “every permutation of vaccines” but did not elaborate on the hour-long interview beyond a post to X.

A Pro-Abortion Democrat At HHS

On the other hand, Republican concerns about the appointment of a pro-abortion Democrat to run the nation’s health care agency were largely put to rest in December when Kennedy pledged to reinstate pro-life protections which existed during Trump’s first term. Kennedy had previously endorsed abortion through all nine months of pregnancy during the 2024 presidential campaign, a position he walked back last May once he learned women selectively “abort healthy, viable late-term fetuses.” Kennedy, however, did not fully embrace a pro-life platform backed by social conservatives who support a nationwide ban.

Despite Kennedy’s promise to honor Trump’s first-term agenda on abortion at HHS, a Pence-backed group is still highlighting the nominee’s past positions to urge lawmakers to oppose his confirmation. The group Advancing American Freedom addressed senators Wednesday, arguing, “While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time.”

Dr. Saphier, however, called Kennedy’s abortion stance “moot.”

“While the Pro-Life members may oppose his Pro-Choice stance, President-elect Trump has indicated he is against a federal abortion ban so voting against RFK Jr. because of his Pro-Choice stance is a moot point and I don’t believe he will lose votes for it,” Dr. Saphier told The Federalist. In fact, she added, “I believe RFK Jr. will be confirmed since Republicans were handed a mandate by the American people, and while they many not be wholly satisfied with the nominee for HHS Secretary, a vote against him by a Republican could be politically disastrous for the Senator.”

Industry Interference

One of Kennedy’s primary obstacles to confirmation will predictably be interference from the food and pharmaceutical industries he has pledged to target with reforms.

Dr. Christopher Palmer, a Harvard clinical psychiatrist who was featured at Sen. Johnson’s roundtable on nutrition last year, told The Federalist earlier this week that while he is “not an insider in terms of politics,” his “speculation is they are not likely happy about Kennedy being confirmed and they will do everything in their power to see that doesn’t happen.”

While Dr. Palmer might not be an insider, Tony Lyons, the president of Skyhorse Publishing and a co-founder of the American Values Political Action Committee, is. When asked how much third-party groups are spending to disrupt Kennedy’s confirmation, Lyons said “this figure is already in the millions of dollars.”

Lyons referenced the Sixteen Thirty Fund in particular, a left-wing dark money group now opposing Kennedy’s cabinet nomination after supporting his independent presidential run.

“It has already been confirmed that the Sixteen Thirty Fund has spent over $1 million on lobbying efforts,” Lyons said. “This is just one of the many groups aiming to derail President-elect Trump’s mandate to put Kennedy in charge of a health revolution that is fundamental to the future of this country.”

The Wall Street Journal reported in December the soda industry was already deploying high-powered Washington lobbyists to Capitol Hill to save billions in taxpayer subsidies on sugary beverages made available for purchase through federal food stamps.

“Coke is looking to hire additional lobbyists from among a small and exclusive group who have close relationships with Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter,” the Journal reported. “Lobbyists for the big soda companies are also trying to get in front of people close to Kennedy and Brooke Rollins, Trump’s nominee to head the Agriculture Department, which administers [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits.”

“Once confirmed, lobbying against Kennedy and his reforms will become a permanent feature in Washington,” Lyons told The Federalist. “This is red meat for the swamp. But in truth, Kennedy’s reforms will save the average American hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year on health and medical bills. His emphasis on nutrition and exercise threatens major corporate and political interests that have enriched themselves in the ‘sickness’ industry.”

Tristan Justice is a national correspondent for The Federalist and the co-author of "Fat and Unhappy: How 'Body Positivity' Is Killing Us (and How to Save Yourself)." He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan's email newsletter here. Buy "Fat and Unhappy" here.