By Fox News (Politics) | Created at 2024-10-31 12:38:26 | Updated at 2024-10-31 15:25:38
3 hours ago
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has indicated that former President Donald Trump plans to give him "control" over the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Kennedy indicated that Trump "promised" him "control" over "public health agencies, which are HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH, and a few others," plus the USDA.
He made the comments in a video clip that has been circulating online.
The New York Times reported that Kennedy noted via text that the video was a recording from an internal talk with campaign workers regarding get-out-the-vote efforts for Trump.
"I stand ready to help him rid the public health agencies of their pervasive conflicts and corruption and restore their tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science," Kennedy said in a statement, according to the outlet.
The HHS secretary and USDA secretary posts are both cabinet-level positions.
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Former President Donald Trump, right, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a Turning Point Action campaign rally at the Gas South Arena on Oct. 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"No formal decisions about Cabinet and personnel have been made, however, President Trump has said he will work alongside passionate voices like RFK Jr. to Make America Healthy Again by providing families with safe food and ending the chronic disease epidemic plaguing our children," Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, according to reports.
Kennedy initially pursued the Democratic presidential nomination, then switched to an independent presidential bid, and eventually dropped out and backed Trump.
"When @realDonaldTrump gets me inside the USDA, we're going to give farmers an off-ramp from the current system that destroys soil, makes people sick, and harms family farms," Kennedy posted.
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Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Aug. 23, 2024. (REUTERS/Go Nakamura)
When podcast host Joe Rogan asked Trump whether he is fully committed to including Kennedy in his administration, Trump said, "I am."
During his recent rally at Madison Square Garden, Trump said he will let Kennedy "go wild on health," food and medicine.
"One of the first things I will do once we get @realDonaldTrump back in the White House and me to D.C. is to get ultra-processed foods out of school lunches," Kennedy posted.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits "The Story With Martha MacCallum" at Fox News Channel Studios on Sept. 25, 2024 in New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
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Kennedy has said that public health entities like the CDC, NIH, FDA, and USDA "have become sock puppets for the industries that they're supposed to regulate."
He said that he and Trump will "replace the corrupt industry-captured officials with honest public servants."
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
