Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would put former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of women’s health if elected as president, telling Kennedy he could “do whatever you want.”
Speaking at his Monday rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump said he would give Kennedy free reign to address health issues in his administration.
“So Bobby’s going to pretty much do what he wants. I want him to do something really important for our country, make people healthier,” Trump said.
“We have obesity, we have every problem you can have. And Bobby feels very strongly about it. And he’s gonna be very much right. The only thing I told him, though, Bobby, you gotta do one thing. Do whatever you want. You just go ahead, work on the pesticides, work on making women’s health. He’s so into women’s health, and you know, he’s really unbelievable. He, it’s such a passion.”
Trump said his caveat was that Kennedy, who suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump in August, could not interfere with the former president’s plans to increase U.S. oil production.
“I said Bobby, I want you to do it, but leave the liquid gold to me,” Trump said. “Don’t trample on our liquid gold, because…we have more than any other country in the world by far. Don’t trample on that, Bobby, let me just, just close your eyes. Let me just make our country rich as hell.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Trump campaign via email.
Kennedy has stated that he has plans to “make America healthy again” by combating pesticides, harmful additives, processed foods, and vaccines, which he sees as the cause of public health issues such as obesity.
In relation to women’s health, Kennedy’s most recent position on abortions is that the procedure should be banned if the fetus is viable. Kennedy previously expressed support for a federal abortion restriction at three months while he was running for president as a Democrat in 2023, but his campaign walked back that position.
Kennedy has no formal training or experience in medicine or public health, but has been a vocal anti-vaccine campaigner and has worked as an environmental lawyer.
He has been criticized for fueling vaccine hesitancy outside of the U.S., including on a trip to Samoa organized by a local anti-vaccine influencer. Shortly after his trip, there was a measles outbreak in the island nation that killed over 70 people.
He also said he would advise Trump to remove fluoride from public water.
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