(NewsNation) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Republican nominee Donald Trump asked him to reorganize federal health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if he wins the 2024 presidential election.
“He’s asked me to clean up the corruption number one,” Kennedy said during a town hall Wednesday with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “Number two, end the conflicts of interest, return those agencies to their rich tradition of gold standard, empirically-based, evidence-based science, evidence-based medicine, and to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country.”
Kennedy ran as an Independent in the election before dropping out and endorsing Trump.
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Trump said Sunday at a rally that he would let Kennedy “go wild” on issues related to food, medicine and health if elected to another term. The event, which took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden, was widely criticized for racist and crude comments made by some speakers.
Kennedy in the past has disseminated false information about health topics such as vaccines, and is known for spreading conspiracy theories as well. Because of this, NewsNation partner The Hill reports that medical experts have raised concerns about Kennedy’s potential influence in a future Trump administration.
Noting that some people call Kennedy an “extremist,” Cuomo asked him about those who say they are concerned about what the former presidential candidate would do when given the power of a government position.
“I’m not a doctor, I’m not a scientist,” Kennedy answered, though added that he’s written “five best-selling books on public health” and, as a lawyer, “litigated on health issues for 40 years.”
What his job would be in the Trump administration, Kennedy said, is to address corruption, not impose his personal beliefs on the American people.
“I’ve sued almost all of these agencies. I’ve sued FDA, CDC, NIH, FCC, USDA, almost all these agencies,” Kennedy said. “When you litigate against these agencies, you get a PhD in in in corporate capture and how to unravel it.”
