Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Donald Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water

PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a salient proponent of debunked nationalist wellness claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put successful complaint of health initiatives, said Saturday that Trump would push to region fluoride from drinking h2o connected his first time successful office.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals mislaid during normal deterioration and tear, according to nan U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The summation of debased levels of fluoride to drinking h2o has agelong been considered 1 of nan top nationalist wellness achievements of nan past century.

Kennedy made nan declaration connected nan societal media level X alongside a assortment of claims astir nan heath effects of fluoride.

“On January 20, nan Trump White House will counsel each U.S. h2o systems to region fluoride from nationalist water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to Make America Healthy Again,” he added, repeating a building Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.

It was not clear if Kennedy discussed Saturday’s station pinch Trump aliases his aides. The Trump run did not reply directly, and a spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond erstwhile asked.

“While President Trump has received a assortment of argumentation ideas, he is focused connected Tuesday’s election,” Danielle Alvarez, Trump run elder advisor, said.

But nan abrupt and unexpected play societal media station evoked nan chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s White House tenure, erstwhile he would rumor argumentation declarations connected Twitter astatine virtually each hours. It besides underscored nan concerns galore experts person astir Kennedy, who has long promoted debunked theories astir vaccine safety, having power complete U.S. nationalist health.

In 1950, national officials endorsed h2o fluoridation to forestall bony decay, and continued to beforehand it moreover aft fluoride toothpaste brands deed nan marketplace respective years later. Though fluoride tin travel from a number of sources, drinking h2o is nan main root for Americans, researchers say.

Officials lowered their proposal for drinking h2o fluoride levels successful 2015 to reside a bony information called fluorosis, that tin origin splotches connected teeth and was becoming much communal successful U.S. kids.

In August, a national agency determined “with mean confidence” that location is simply a nexus betwixt higher levels of fluoride vulnerability and little IQ successful kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion connected studies involving fluoride levels astatine astir doubly nan recommended limit for drinking water.

A national judge later cited that study successful ordering nan U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further modulate fluoride successful drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not definite that nan magnitude of fluoride typically added to h2o is causing little IQ successful kids, but he concluded that mounting investigation points to an unreasonable consequence that it could be. He ordered nan EPA to return steps to little that risk, but didn’t opportunity what those measures should be.

In his X station Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, nan lead lawyer representing nan plaintiff successful that lawsuit, nan biology defense group Food & Water Watch.

Kennedy’s anti-vaccine statement has a suit pending against news organizations including The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to place misinformation, including astir COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy is connected time off from nan group but is listed arsenic 1 of its attorneys successful nan lawsuit.

What domiciled Kennedy mightiness clasp if Trump wins connected Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy precocious told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies including nan U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nan National Institutes of Health, nan Food and Drug Administration and immoderate agencies nether nan Department of Agriculture.

But for now, nan erstwhile independent statesmanlike campaigner has go 1 of Trump’s apical surrogates. Trump often mentions having nan support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and nan boy of erstwhile Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy traveled pinch Trump Friday and said astatine his rallies successful Michigan and Wisconsin.

Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy: “You tin activity connected food, you tin activity connected thing you want” isolated from lipid policy.

“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants kids, he wants everything,” Trump added.