Donald Trump has suggested that vaccines could be banned if he becomes president, suggesting that if he appoints ally Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead public health policy, This is the clearest sign yet of a fundamental shift in health policy.
President Trump told NBC on Sunday that Kennedy, an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former independent candidate who dropped out and supported Trump, would play a “huge role in the administration” if he wins Tuesday’s presidential election. Ta. President Trump said he would discuss vaccination with President Kennedy.
President Kennedy has repeatedly claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism, but this theory has been debunked by scientists.
He has also said in recent days that Trump has promised to take control of a wide range of public health agencies if he returns to the White House, potentially putting him in a position to implement some of his most radical theories.
President Trump did not contradict that assertion and left open the possibility of banning certain vaccines.
“Well, I’ll talk to him, I’ll talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and he has strong views,” the Republican nominee told NBC. .
He also appeared to support President Kennedy’s pledge on social media last Friday to ban fluoride from water supplies. Public health experts support the practice as helping fight dental disease. President Kennedy called fluoride an “industrial waste” and claimed it was linked to cancer. Health groups say it’s safe.
Asked by NBC for his thoughts on water fluoridation, President Trump said, “Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I don’t think it’s a problem. You know, it’s possible. ”
Kennedy, a member of President Trump’s transition team, claimed last week that he had been promised “control” over various public health and food safety agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Centers for Food Safety. and drug management.
President Trump has not specified what kind of responsibility Kennedy will have, but at a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden last week, he said that if he wins the election, he will “eat” Kennedy. He said he intends to get people “enthusiastic about medicine” and “enthusiastic about medicine.”
Trump campaign co-chairman Howard Lutnick told CNN that he may be granted access to federal data on vaccine safety, raising concerns that Kennedy’s views could influence the Trump administration. further increased its credibility. He also appears to support Kennedy’s views on the supposed risks of vaccines.
“He says, ‘Give me the data and all I want is the data. I’ll take that data and prove it’s not secure,'” Lutnick said. “Let’s give him the data. I think it’s pretty cool to give him the data. Let’s see what he comes up with. I think it’ll be pretty fun.”
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