Donald Trump has suggested vaccines could be banned if he becomes president, in the clearest sign yet of a radical shake-up in public health policy should he put his ally Robert F Kennedy Jr in charge of it.
Trump on Sunday told NBC that Kennedy, the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former independent candidate who dropped out and endorsed Trump, would have a “big role in the administration” if wins Tuesday’s presidential election. Trump said he would talk to Kennedy about vaccinations.
Kennedy has repeatedly claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism, a theory scientists have debunked.
He has also said in recent days that Trump has promised him control over a broad range of public health agencies if he returns to the White House, potentially putting him in a position to implement his most radical theories.
Trump did not contradict that claim and held open the possibility of banning certain vaccines.
“Well, I’m going to talk to him and talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” the Republican nominee told NBC.
He also appeared to uphold Kennedy’s vow – made on social media last Friday – to ban fluoride in the water supply, a practice that public health experts support as useful in combating dental disease. Kennedy called fluoride “industrial waste” and claimed it was linked to cancer. Health groups insist it is safe.
Asked by NBC for his views about getting rid of water fluoridation, Trump said: “Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds OK to me. You know, it’s possible.”
Kennedy, who sits on Trump’s transition team, claimed last week that he had been promised “control” over a range of public health and food safety agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Trump has not been specific on what responsibilities Kennedy might hold but told a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden last week that he would let him “go wild on food” and “go wild on medicines” if he wins the election.
Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s campaign, gave further credence to the weight Kennedy’s views might carry in a Trump administration when he told CNN that he could be given access to federal data on vaccines safety. He also appeared to endorse Kennedy’s opinions on the supposed risks of vaccines.
“He says, ‘If you give me the data, all I want is the data, and I’ll take on the data and show that it’s not safe,’” Lutnick said. “Let’s give him the data. I think it’ll be pretty cool to give him the data. Let’s see what he comes up with. I think it’s pretty fun.”
Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage:
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• The headline of this article was amended on 7 November 2024 to remove a reference to a “proposal to ban vaccines” by Robert F Kennedy Jr that was not supported by the main text.
