President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are dominating the news cycle this week. One of the most anticipated announcements came Thursday, Nov. 14, with Trump nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services.
The reaction is mixed and crosses party lines. For instance, a right-leaning news outlet has come out against Trump’s pick, while a Democratic governor has expressed support.
Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., posted a message on X, saying he was “excited” that Trump would appoint Kennedy.
“Before you mock him or disagree, I want to share with you some quotes that, if he follows through, show why I’m excited,” Polis wrote.
I’m excited by the news that the President-Elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA. I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than… pic.twitter.com/cILtTYplcn
— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) November 14, 2024
Polis highlighted Kennedy’s plans to reduce drug prices, overhaul the FDA’s nutrition department and shift away from pesticide-intensive agriculture.
“He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to truly make America healthy again,” Polis wrote.
Kennedy thanked Polis for the support, saying he looked forward to working with the Democratic governor.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, have praised Kennedy’s potential appointment, calling him “brilliant.”
However, some Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, have criticized the nomination, calling it “dangerous.”
Some of the media, both left-leaning and right-leaning, have expressed concerns over Kennedy’s nomination, with coverage centering on his controversial remarks about vaccines.
The Associated Press labeled Kennedy as “an anti-vaccine activist,” while PBS described him as someone who “has promoted vaccine misinformation.”
The AP’s article highlights a podcast interview in July, when Kennedy said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” The AP added Kennedy “still believes in the long-ago debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism.”
The New York Post’s editorial board also came out against the nomination, saying, “Putting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of health breaks the first rule of medicine.”
The Post’s editorial reads, “The overriding rule of medicine is: First, do no harm. We’re certain installing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Health and Human Services breaks this rule.”
In his endorsement of Kennedy, Gov. Polis cautioned Kennedy not to ban vaccines but to “lean into personal choice on vaccines.” In a later interview with MSNBC, Kennedy said, “I’ve never been anti-vaccine” and wouldn’t take vaccines away.
He reiterated in a 2016 interview with NBC that vaccinations should be a matter of personal choice.
The nomination has also affected the stock market. Following the announcement, shares of vaccine makers dropped sharply. Moderna fell 6%, Pfizer dropped more than 4% and Novavax declined by over 2%.
