NEW YORK – President-elect Donald Trump He said he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drugs, vaccines and food safety to medical research and the social safety net of Medicare and Medicaid programs.

“For too long, Americans have been oppressed by the food industrial complex and pharmaceutical companies that engage in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in a post on the Truth Social site announcing the appointment. Kennedy “He Will Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Kennedy, a former Democrat running as an independent in this year’s presidential race, abandoned her candidacy after making a deal to endorse Trump with the promise of a role in health policy in the administration.

He and Trump have since become good friends, and Kennedy often received loud applause at Trump’s rallies.

The anticipated appointment was first reported by Politico on Thursday.

Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, is a lawyer with a devoted following over the decades who admire his lawsuits against major pesticide and pharmaceutical companies. He pushed for stricter regulations on ingredients in foods.

With his campaign, Trump sought to increase support, especially among young mothers, with his message of making food healthier in the United States and promises to set an example for regulations imposed in Europe. He called the effort “Make America Healthy Again,” a reference to Trump’s original campaign slogan.

It remains unclear how this would square with Trump’s history of deregulating major industries, including food. For example, Trump has pushed for less regulation of the meat industry.

Kennedy’s stance on vaccines has also made him a controversial figure among Democrats and some Republicans, raising questions about his ability to be confirmed even in a GOP-controlled Senate. Kennedy has embraced misinformation about the safety of vaccines, including pushing a completely debunked theory that childhood vaccines cause autism.

He also said he would recommend removing fluoride from drinking water. It was stated that the addition of the material led to improved dental health.

HHS has more than 80,000 employees nationwide. It houses the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy’s anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, is currently taking antitrust action against a number of news organizations, including the Associated Press, by taking them to detect misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19. He has a lawsuit accusing him of violating the law. 19 vaccines. Kennedy left the group when he announced his candidacy for president but was listed as one of the group’s lawyers in the lawsuit.

__ Seitz reported from Washington.