What Food and Health Safety Would Look Like Under a Trump Administration with RFK, Jr.

Yesterday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on Fox News, and if you want a sense of the depth of Trump’s influence, check out the response of his supporters to Kennedy’s plan. Many Trump supporters were enthusiastic about Kennedy’s proposal to remove processed foods and refined sugar from school lunches in favor of healthier, organic options. Essentially, he’s advocating for the same policies Michelle Obama promoted during the Obama Administration—proposals Republicans firmly opposed at the time—but now they’re receiving a surprisingly warm reception from conservative audiences.

The segment felt like something you’d expect to see from a California liberal. However, I do hope that we don’t start rejecting some beneficial policies just because they’re associated with someone like Bobby Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Trump has suggested he’d put Kennedy in charge of health and human services, food safety, and the environment if re-elected (although Trump clarified that he wouldn’t allow Kennedy to restrict fossil fuels). Kennedy, in turn, has claimed that Trump would place him over agencies like Health and Human Services, the CDC, FDA, NIH, and USDA.

Here’s the thing: Kennedy was once a Democrat and some of his policies could align with liberal priorities, like reducing processed foods in schools, cutting pesticide use, and scrutinizing Big Pharma. But given his potential influence, examining his other, more controversial views on health and food is essential.

Abortion and Fertility Treatments: Kennedy has stated he would support a national abortion ban after 12 weeks. His running mate opposes IVF, suggesting instead that women should get more sunlight as a natural solution.

Vaccine Skepticism: Kennedy remains a vocal vaccine skeptic, perpetuating the debunked myth of a link between vaccines and autism. If he were to lead the CDC, it’s conceivable that he’d make vaccines optional, even for schoolchildren. The risk of resurgent diseases like polio and measles, previously controlled by vaccines, is real; in 2018, Kennedy’s misinformation contributed to a measles outbreak in American Samoa, where 5,700 people were infected, and 83 died.

Alternative Remedies: As the head of U.S. public health, Kennedy would likely advocate for a range of treatments, from vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, and exercise (good), to psychedelics (questionable), and riskier options like raw milk, ivermectin, and hydroxychloroquine.

Mental Health Medications: Kennedy’s stance on antidepressants is troubling. He believes that antidepressants, not guns, are behind the rise in school shootings. He also links antidepressants to teens’ decisions to identify as transgender, a stance likely to lead to restrictive policies around mental health treatment.

HIV/AIDS: Kennedy has expressed skepticism about the link between HIV and AIDS, a stance widely discredited and potentially dangerous.

Food Safety: If Kennedy were to head the USDA, there would be serious concerns about food safety in the U.S. Regulations are already somewhat lax, and under his guidance, outbreaks of E. coli and listeria could become more frequent due to decreased oversight.

Alternative Medicine: Beyond his stance on raw milk and vitamins, Kennedy’s support for pseudoscientific and alternative treatments could lead to the approval of ineffective and dangerous health practices. As the head of public health, he could divert resources toward unproven therapies, promoting a culture of “natural” remedies over evidence-based treatments. Science and medicine are good, people. Science and medicine save lives! Trust your doctors!

Kennedy’s willingness to endorse conspiracy theories could also influence national health policy in weird and unexpected ways and ultimately erode public trust in the CDC even more, which would be ruinous if we had another national health emergency or pandemic. Can you imagine if, instead of Anthony Fauci, we had Bobby Kennedy running the joint during another pandemic, one potentially prompted by RFK, Jr. misinformation? The COVID pandemic would be small potatoes, comparatively speaking.

In other words, even if you’re comfortable with fascism (why? What is wrong with you?), a vote for Trump could legitimately endanger public health. Not only might millions of people be deported, but millions of others could die because the government recommends taking ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine and sun bathing to cure your diabetes and cancer.