RFK Jr.’s Conspiracy Theories: Here’s What Trump’s Pick For Health Secretary Has Promoted
Topline
The White House withdrew President Donald Trump’s nomination of vaccine skeptic and former Florida congressman Dave Weldon for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thursday—a position that would have put him at the helm of an agency responsible for shaping vaccine policy alongside another anti-vaccine figure, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Key Facts
The White House pulled the nomination just before Weldon was set to appear before the Senate health committee, multiple outlets reported.
It’s unclear why the White House removed Weldon from the running, but CBS reported it became clear he did not have enough support among senators to be confirmed, citing an unnamed Trump administration official.
Weldon, a physician who served in the House from 1995-2009, regularly expressed skepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines during his time in Congress, including raising concerns about the unfounded theory linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism, STAT News reported.
Kennedy has also questioned the possible ties between the MMR vaccine and autism—a viewpoint widely debunked in the medical community and one critics say threatens to deter people from vaccinating their children.
Tangent
Kennedy has stopped short of giving full-throated endorsements of vaccines since his nomination and confirmation as HHS secretary. During his Senate confirmation hearing, he told health committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., he would encourage Americans to be vaccinated “if you show me data” that proves the MMR vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine do not cause autism. Responding to the measles outbreak in Texas, which has primarily affected unvaccinated people, Kennedy hedged a statement declaring “vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity,” by also writing that “the decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” He also promoted the use of vitamin A to treat the infection, which some doctors have said is ineffective on its own and can lead to overdose. Kennedy—who insisted during confirmation hearings he is not anti-vaccine—was confirmed by the Senate in February. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a polio survivor, was the only Republican to vote against him, citing, in part, his skepticism of vaccines.
Key Background
Trump nominated Weldon to lead the agency in November, calling him “a respected conservative leader on fiscal and social issues” and expressing confidence he would work to rebuild confidence in the agency, accusing it and other health agencies of “censorship, data manipulation and misinformation.” Weldon has openly criticized federal health agencies and accused them of bias and conflicts of interest during his time in Congress. He also advocated for the preservative thimerosal to be removed from vaccines and urged the CDC to study the link between vaccines and autism. Many anti-vaccine theories revolve around the widely discredited claim that thimerosal causes autism.
Further Reading
Measles Outbreak: Cases In Texas Surpass 220 As No New Deaths Reported (Forbes)
RFK Jr.’s Conspiracy Theories: Here’s What Trump’s Pick For Health Secretary Has Promoted (Forbes)
