RFK Jr becomes US health secretary after lone Republican votes ‘no’

Washington: Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the turncoat scion of the great Democratic family and a prominent vaccine sceptic, has been sworn in as US health secretary after just one Republican senator broke ranks to oppose his nomination.

Mitch McConnell, a veteran senator from Kentucky and former leader of the Republicans in the Senate, survived polio as a child and said he had watched millions of lives saved by vaccines in his lifetime.

Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr is sworn in as US health secretary.Credit: AP

“I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures,” he said. While people had the right to demand the best scientific guidance on public health, “a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr Kennedy to lead these important efforts”.

McConnell said he hoped Kennedy would “choose not to sow further doubt and division” in the important job.

The 82-year-old Republican was critical of President Donald Trump over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, but did not support his impeachment and endorsed him for president in 2024.

Now in the twilight of his career, McConnell also voted down Trump’s pick for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, and director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr speaks after being sworn in as Health and Human Services Secretary in the Oval Office.Credit: AP

Following Kennedy’s swearing-in on Thursday (Friday AEDT), Trump blasted McConnell as “not equipped mentally”, and was not interested in the senator’s childhood battle against polio.

“I don’t know anything about ‘he had polio’ … I have no idea if he had polio,” Trump said. “He’s not voting against Bobby, he’s voting against me. He votes against almost everything now. He’s a very bitter guy.”

Despite raising concerns about Kennedy’s suitability for the role, other Republican senators ultimately fell into line after intense political pressure was reportedly brought to bear on them by the White House and Trump’s billionaire ally, Elon Musk.

Bill Cassidy, a doctor and senator from Louisiana who chairs the Senate’s health committee, voted to confirm Kennedy after early doubts. “We need to make America healthy again, and it is my expectation that Secretary Kennedy will get this done,” he said.

Pete Evans in a post he shared on social media on the day Donald Trump was re-elected as US president.Credit: Instagram

Kennedy is the son of former attorney-general Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of assassinated president John F. Kennedy.

He ran as an independent candidate for president in 2024 but dropped out three weeks after Kamala Harris officially became the Democratic candidate, and endorsed Trump.

His views on health and vaccines have endeared him to other members of the wellness movement including Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans, who has himself promoted vaccine scepticism.

A fortnight ago, Evans appeared on a fringe conspiracy podcast called X22 Report and said he had lobbied Kennedy directly to create a US government website that would feature thousands of his recipes.

Pete Evans and Robert F. Kennedy Jr in Los Angeles in 2020.Credit: Instagram

“I’ve spoken to Bobby Kennedy about this ... The pitch is: why don’t we create a government website with all of these beautiful recipes, with or without my name associated with it. I’ve got no ego in this,” Evans said.

“Let’s bring in American chefs instead of an outsider, an Aussie ... I don’t think the US people would take too kindly to an Aussie chef telling them that they’re doing things wrong. Let’s get American chefs on board.

“I can see it so clearly, and I’ve put the intention and the invitation out there to Bobby and others. Whether they take that up or not in this term, if they get through, we’ll wait and see.”

The comments were first reported by Media Matters in the US and Crikey in Australia.

When this masthead contacted Evans for comment on Kennedy’s confirmation, Evans replied: “Wonderful to hear.”

Caroline Kennedy tried to convince senators to oppose her cousin’s appointment as health secretary.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

While Democrats were united in their opposition to Kennedy, some of the largest medical organisations in the US were criticised for staying silent during the confirmation process and in the lead-up to the confirmation vote, including the powerful American Medical Association.

Caroline Kennedy, who was until recently the US ambassador to Australia, made a dramatic attempt to convince senators to oppose her cousin’s nomination with a letter calling him a “predator” who had dragged family members into drug addiction in their youth.

“His basement, his garage, his dorm room were the centres of the action where drugs were available, and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks. It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence,” she wrote.

RFK Jr made a well-documented recovery from heroin addiction in the 1980s, and went on to become a lauded environmental lawyer who took on polluting corporations.

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