An unlikely nominee

Donald Trump is a “disruptive” politician, and his cabinet picks prove it. Perhaps the most disruptive of Trump’s nominees is Robert F Kennedy Jr., also known as RFK Jr., for Secretary of Health and Human Services. There may be more controversial nominees, like Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, or Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. Still, none would likely be as disruptive as RFK Jr. in the Cabinet.

Now, I don’t mean disruptive in a bad way. I am a tech guy, and when we talk about disruptive technologies, we mean technologies that fundamentally change how we do things. In technology, examples include the internet, e-commerce, mobile phones, and artificial intelligence — innovations that reshaped industries and our daily lives. In the same way, Trump’s second term promises to disrupt the political landscape. He has chosen people for his cabinet who, if confirmed, will shake things up.

RFK Jr. is an unlikely nominee for a Republican candidate. He comes from Democrat royalty. He is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. In April 2023, he announced his campaign for president, facing off against President Biden in the primary, and in October 2023, he withdrew and began campaigning as an independent. Finally, in August 2024, he dropped out of the race and endorsed Donald Trump. After winning the election, Trump nominated RFK Jr. for the HHS job.

I like to think of RFK Jr. as a sort of political duck-billed platypus. The duck-billed platypus is an animal that defies categorization. They are warm-blooded, venomous, furry, egg-laying mammals with webbed feet and a duck-like bill. Some of his policies will appeal to Libertarians, others to liberals, and still others to Conservatives.

Since he has been nominated to head HHS it makes sense to start with his positions on Health. In this arena, RFK Jr. is best known for his anti-vaccine activism. He will tell you that he is not anti-vaccine, but his emphasis on vaccine safety and repeated claims that childhood vaccines cause autism make that a little bit hard to believe.

Last year, Children’s Health Fund, a nonprofit founded by RFK Jr., took a case to the Supreme Court on behalf of doctors being investigated by their state for allegedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19. They argued the case on the grounds that the state violated the doctors’ free speech rights.

RFK Jr. has also called putting fluoride in drinking water “insane.” He says removing it will reduce bone cancer and increase children’s IQs. He has blamed herbicides in drinking water for an increase in youth identifying as transgender.

Healthy food is another hot topic for RFK Jr. He has long argued against ultra-processed foods. These foods may contain extracts like high-fructose corn syrup or synthetic additives like dyes. Usually, these foods contain very little whole food content. Just this week the FDA has banned the use of Red Dye Number 3 in foods and ingested medicines after studies linked it to cancer in rats. Interestingly, this dye was banned in cosmetics 35 years ago but is just being removed from our food now!

Getting away from primarily health-related issues, his positions are all over the map. He has said that gun control will not meaningfully reduce gun violence. Yet, as a candidate, he said he would sign an “assault weapon” ban if Congress sent it to his desk.

His position on abortion is nuanced. He says he would like to maximize choice but minimize the number of abortions each year.

As an environmental lawyer, RFK Jr. has called greenhouse gases the cause of global warming. However, he has not called for strict regulation to reduce them. He is an opponent of carbon capture pipelines and has called them a subsidy for ‘big carbon.’

His views have been generally pro-labor, and he supports a $15 minimum wage.

He has spoken against continued support for Ukraine and in favor of Israel.

I agree with RFK Jr. that something is wrong with the way we do food in the United States. I have diabetes, and I eat a relatively low-carb diet. I exercise regularly and track my blood sugar. I cook from scratch and other than diet soda, I don’t eat much ultra-processed food. This summer, I spent six weeks in France. I started most days with a raisin brioche, a sweet bread with a high sugar content. I also bought baguettes and would snack on them with butter and jam throughout the day. I ate in restaurants and always had bread and a dessert.

I assumed that I would gain weight and my blood sugar would rise during my stay. I did not consider that France has strict regulations about food additives and preservatives. Traditionally, the French shop frequently, even daily, to buy fresh ingredients. I was surprised that both my blood sugar and weight improved while I was in France.

Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are among the most serious health challenges facing the United States, and each has a significant dietary component. I know this because I suffer from all of them. While I don’t agree with RFK Jr. on every issue, I believe he has the vision and determination to address our nation’s broken food system. For this reason, I support his confirmation as HHS Secretary and am hopeful he can bring about meaningful change.

David Chung is a Gazette editorial fellow. david.chung@thegazette.com