Robert Kennedy Jr. has disclosed President-Elect Donald Trump’s three-fold directive to him, aimed at transforming the nation’s health landscape.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Kennedy Jr. took to X to share the tasks Trump has assigned to him. He wrote that Trump asked him to do three things: clean up corruption in health agencies, restore evidence-based science, and end the chronic disease epidemic to make America healthy again.
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This announcement comes after Trump’s previous pledge to give Kennedy full authority over health, food, and medicine issues if he secures a second term. The former President had expressed his intent to allow Kennedy to “run wild” on these matters, with the exception of oil.
Kennedy Jr. is known for his contentious views on vaccines and has also been know to speak out regularly on food additives. In the aftermath of the election, shares of pharmaceutical companies, particularly those associated with the COVID-19 vaccine, have slid.
On Wednesday Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) and Modern Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) stocks hovered near their 52-week lows of $25.20 and $49.60 respectively. For the day, PFE ended 2.2% lower at $27.36, while MRNA dropped 2.8% to $51.81. The iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:IHE) fell 0.5% to $68.39 in a similar period.
Why It Matters: Kennedy’s new role and the tasks assigned to him align with Trump’s earlier statements. In a recent interview, Trump showed tentative support for Kennedy’s plan to remove fluoride from water, a move aimed at improving public health. Kennedy, known for his health-related advocacies, stated that his administration would encourage all U.S. water systems to eliminate fluoride on its first day in office.
Furthermore, Kennedy had previously disclosed that he might be appointed by Trump to select leaders for key public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. This latest announcement seems to confirm his involvement in these agencies, marking a significant shift in the country’s health policies.
Image via Shutterstock
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
