Washington – Robert F. Kennedy Junior has said that vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply has panicked farmers from midwests.
The 71 -year -old, whose famous name and family tragedies have brought him to the national headlines since childhood, have spent years in podcast, TV interviews and speeches – and sometimes spent years to broadcast of ideas and sometimes overwhelms Quixotic brand is created. ,
Kennedy, the son of the Democratic political dynasty, wants to become the top health officer of the country under President Donald Trump. To reach there, he is softening those long -standing beliefs, hoping to get approval from the Republican Party.
Kennedy’s control over the country’s $ 1.7 trillion US health and human service agency is at stake, which oversees food and hospital inspection, health insurance and vaccine recommendations for about half of the country. This job will finally give them the kind of political power that Kennedy has used for decades.
He had long claimed for the presidency last year, his uncle John, who won the White House in 1960, and Edward, who lost his dialect in 1980, as well as his father, Robert, a major contenders Were, who was murdered after winning. California Primary in 1968.
Due to the strong similarity with the credibility of his father and lawyer, he finds enthusiastic followers who accept the criticisms made by him against unhealthy foods, pharmaceutical companies and chemicals.
But he could not do the Democrats in his favor, some of his relatives took away his vaccine ideas. He has been a flexible ideological visit, somewhat liberal democrats, somewhat liberal and now, followers of the MAGA agenda after being out of the race last year to support Trump.
Since then, the President has instructed him to “move strictly” in the matter of health. Together, they have also created a new slogan: “Make America healthy again.”
Kennedy’s aspirations are now on the Republican-controlled Senate, where all the Democrats oppose them, they can lose only three GOP votes.
As the hearing of Kennedy’s confirmation is coming close this week, he is facing a coordinated attempt to stop his nomination. A television and digital advertising campaign is highlighting their anti-vaccine work. And former Vice President Mike Pence, veteran of orthodox abortion movement, is also advocating against him.
Kennedy’s closest supporters believe that he will be strong. He plans to focus on issues that have bilateral consent, such as reducing adulteration in foods and increasing access to healthy foods. When there are concerns about their views on conservative priorities like abortion, they have promised to follow Trump’s leadership.
Then Kennedy has the biggest advantage – and perhaps, his biggest liability for someone working under Trump – his star power.
Calley Means, a close advisor to Kennedy, said, “Bobby K. is coming with larger microphones than any HHS secretary.”
Kennedy’s biggest obstacles: anti -vaccine statements and tragedy in Samoa
Several Kennedy’s comments, anti-vaccine non-profit institutions and cases against vaccination can bother him.
They have rejected the anti-vaccine label, instead presented themselves as a warrior for “medical freedom” who wants more research. He and Trump have vowed to “snatch” vaccines. To calm the criticism, he resigned from the Children’s Health Defense, his non-profit organization that has filed dozens of cases against the vaccines, some of which are also involved in government authority.
But critics have argued that many people have lost their work to advocate against the use of vaccines. Democrats are set to work in his social media campaigns and the island of Pacific Ocean Rashtra Samoa, where doctors say he and his anti-vaccine followers have faced a tragedy by campaigning against vaccination in childhood.
In 2018, two Samoa children died of poor vaccination, due to which the government had to suspend the childhood vaccination program.
Kennedy came in 2019 with his wife, actor Cheryl Hines to meet the Prime Minister, Health Minister and other health officials. Kennedy says that he promoted a “medical information system” that would “assess the efficacy and safety of each medical intervention or the drug on overall health.”
Later that year, measles epidemic killed dozens of infants and children.
Democrat Hawaii Governor Josh Green, an emergency chamber doctor, who organized 50,000 vaccine doses for vaccination, organized flights with doctors and nurses, has led the campaign to highlight Kennedy’s role. He shared what he saw there during a meeting with a handful of senators earlier this month, including the villagers’ accounts, who told them about the Facebook post which was away from vaccination. Was doing.
Green said about Kennedy, “He went there and used celebrity status to scare the country from vaccination.” “You have to ask yourself,” Why, RFK Junior, will you go Samoa and do this with innocent people? ”
Kennedy has refused to play a role in the outbreak.
A Democratic Group is running a digital advertisement that accuses Kennedy of spreading misinformation in Samoa. The campaign is targeting senators in nine states, including Main Senator Susan Colins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tilis of North Carolina and John Curtis of Utah, claiming an important Samoa population.
His target is another Republican Senator Bill Cassidi, who is the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Senate Committee, who is hearing on Thursday. Cassidi, who is also a doctor, stopped supporting him after meeting Kennedy and is considered impressive.
Kentucky Senator Mich McConel, who was suffering from polio in childhood, may also join the game. At the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2021, McConel invested in his own campaign fund to urge Kentuki residents to vaccinate against the virus.
Last month, McConel sent a warning about efforts to discredit the polio vaccine.
McConel said, “Efforts to reduce public confidence in perfect remedies are not only oblivious – they are dangerous.” “It would be good for anyone who seeks Senate consent to serve in the upcoming administration to stay away from the presence of association with such efforts.”
A former Vice President questioned his commitment to ‘life-supporter’ policies
Other conservatives have questioned Kennedy’s abortion views, as they said last year that it should be legal for full -term pregnancies. His campaign later clarified that he supports the right to abortion for about 22 to 24 weeks, until the fetus is viable.
In a meeting with some senators, he has promised to follow Trump’s instructions on the issue.
For example, Missouri’s Republican Senator Josh Haley said that after talking to Kennedy, he was convinced that he would be a strong anti -abortion lawyer.
But suspicion still remains, Pence’s advocacy group has highlighted their abortion ideas in an advertising campaign.
His group said in a letter to the senators last week, “RFK Junior has made some proposals to life-supporting leaders that he will be conscious of his concerns in HHS, there is no reason for faith at this time.”
Senator asks: Will farmers harm farmers?
In Iowa, Kennedy’s enrollment is both excited and worried about Kisan and Soybean farmer Brian Fire.
The sixth generation farmer and Republican feel that Kennedy will present a new approach, but he cannot even ban the corn syrup or pesticides promised by Kennedy. If confirmed, Kennedy will look after the food and drug administration, which has the power to implement the ban.
“We will be pinned. This rural will destroy, middle western communities, “said the fire. “You are talking about food supply for a nation. You cannot reverse it without any viable option. ”
Republican Senator Chak Grassli, Republican of Iowa, said that he plans to give some “education” to Kennedy on agriculture.
Ron Johnson, a republican, a republican in the dairy farm, sees it differently, he told a mob at the Heritage Foundation last month that Kennedy’s agricultural views are a promising part of a large goal: “Make America re -healthy . “