RFK Jr. says Trump has 'promised' him 'control of the public health agencies'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier this week that erstwhile President Donald Trump has "promised" him "control of nan nationalist wellness agencies" should Trump triumph backmost nan White House successful November.

Kennedy, who suspended his independent statesmanlike run successful August and endorsed Trump, made nan remarks connected a Zoom telephone pinch supporters connected Monday night. The agencies Kennedy would reportedly oversee successful that lawsuit see nan national Department of Health and Human Services and nan Department of Agriculture.

"The key, which President Trump has promised me, is power of nan nationalist wellness agencies, which is HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH and a fewer others. And besides nan USDA, which is, you know, cardinal to making America healthy, because we've sewage to get disconnected of seed oils and we've sewage to get disconnected of pesticides … and we request to make that modulation to regenerative agriculture," Kennedy said.

Kennedy has been anti-vaccine activist and founded nan Children's Health Defense, a salient anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and different nationalist wellness measures for illustration h2o fluoridation. Medical experts expressed concerns astir a emergence successful aesculapian misinformation done Kennedy's candidacy.

Kennedy's remarks drew condemnation from Trump's erstwhile Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

"If RFK has a important power connected nan adjacent administration, that could further erode people's willingness to get up to day pinch recommended vaccines, and I americium worried astir nan effect that could person connected our nation's health, connected our nation's economy, connected our world security," Adams said astatine a nationalist wellness conference, according to The New York Times newsman Sheryl Gay Stolberg.

Former Republican statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump shingle hands during a run rally astatine Desert Diamond Arena connected Aug. 23, 2024 successful Glendale, Ariz.

Rebecca Noble/Getty Images, FILE

Trump has said he is committed to brining Kennedy into his administration. Last week, Trump touted Kennedy's domiciled successful helping him "straighten retired our health," but joked that he's worried astir his beardown stance connected nan environment, saying he wants to support drilling.

"I don't cognize if I'm going to person him moving excessively overmuch connected nan environment. I'm a small concerned astir that pinch Bobby. I don't cognize if I want him playing astir pinch our pinch our liquid golden nether our feet," Trump said astatine a run arena successful Las Vegas, Nevada, past Friday. "You know, for illustration I said, Bobby will activity connected health. He's great."

The Trump run said that while nary general decisions person been made astir his Cabinet should he triumph nan election, nan erstwhile president will "work alongside" group for illustration Kennedy successful health-related roles.

"No general decisions astir Cabinet and unit person been made, however, President Trump has said he will activity alongside passionate voices for illustration RFK Jr. to Make America Healthy Again by providing families pinch safe nutrient and ending nan chronic illness pandemic plaguing our children," Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said successful a connection to ABC News. "President Trump will besides found a typical Presidential Commission of independent minds and will complaint them pinch investigating what is causing nan decades-long summation successful chronic illnesses."

ABC News' Kelsey Walsh, Soorin Kim and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.