Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shared why he enjoys his job under President Trump. His honest comments are raising concerns across Washington. Kennedy said working for the president is a “joy” because Trump gives him complete freedom to carry out controversial policies that others wouldn’t allow.
Speaking at the Heritage Foundation during the one-year anniversary of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, Kennedy praised his boss. According to The Daily Beast, he called President Trump the “most business-friendly president” since George Bush, saying the president “will not tolerate overreach and doesn’t care about vested interests, doesn’t care about offending powerful people.”
This freedom fits well with Kennedy’s controversial beliefs. The vaccine skeptic said that trusting experts isn’t part of democracy or science. Instead, he thinks relying on experts is “a feature of religion and totalitarianism.”
Kennedy’s approach to public health is sparking serious concerns
This level of freedom and rejection of established science has critics deeply worried. Some people on social media are calling the situation “scary.” Shaughnessy Naughton, president of 314 Action, a group that works to elect scientists, spoke out strongly against the secretary’s comments.
Naughton noted that RFK Jr. has made money from his anti-vaccine position in the past. She said, “Now, RFK Jr. and his allies stand to make millions taking down vaccine manufacturers, while outbreaks spread like wildfire and children die.” She believes President Trump “doesn’t care how far he goes, even if it means kids will get hurt.” The president has faced criticism for controversial actions in other areas as well.
Since President Trump chose him for the role after he promised support during the 2024 election, Kennedy’s policies have brought sweeping, controversial changes. His time in office has seen a massive reorganization of the Health and Human Services department, including cutting thousands of jobs and stopping or canceling billions of dollars meant for scientific research.
He has also greatly changed federal vaccine policy by removing recommendations for COVID shots for healthy children and pregnant women. Most controversially, he replaced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s expert advisory panel with anti-vaccine activists and other hand-picked advisers. While Kennedy focuses on domestic health policy, Trump has also drawn attention for his threats regarding Greenland.
This CDC change caused major leadership problems at the agency. Former CDC director Susan Monarez said she was forced out of her job because she opposed Kennedy’s policies. Monarez’s attorney stated that she clashed with Kennedy after refusing to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives” while leading the CDC.
Even Kennedy’s own family is speaking against his actions. His nephew, Joseph P Kennedy, previously said that the secretary “is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American.” Despite criticism, Kennedy defends these changes as “absolutely necessary” to fix what he calls a “deeply, deeply embedded… malaise” within the agency.
He continues pushing his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes a strong campaign against ultra-processed foods. He described this fight as “spiritual warfare,” warning that “we’re going to lose our country” if the issue isn’t tackled because “It’s a war at scale against cellular activity. It’s an assault on our children.”
Michigan Democrat Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a ranking member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, is demanding impeachment. She argues that one year into his tenure, “our public health system is weaker, Americans are less safe and less healthy, and science has been pushed aside. He must be impeached.”
Published: Feb 10, 2026 05:45 pm