President Donald Trump is standing firmly behind Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., even as lawmakers, public health officials and critics warn that his policies could destabilize the U.S. healthcare system.
Since taking charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy has cut funding for vaccine research, curtailed access to COVID-19 shots and removed the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health experts say the consequences could be profound. Lower vaccination rates may leave the country vulnerable to outbreaks, and any major resurgence of disease could carry political risks for Trump. Yet the president has shown no sign of wavering. Speaking at the White House after a contentious congressional hearing this week, Trump praised Kennedy as “a very good person” with “different ideas” and said he valued his unorthodox approach.
The alliance between Trump and Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has reshaped U.S. health policy. Kennedy’s appointment was a reward for his support during the 2024 campaign and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which helped rally a segment of voters. Trump initially downplayed concerns about Kennedy’s views, saying before taking office that his new health secretary would be “less radical than you would think.”
Still, Trump’s own record on vaccines is complex. He takes credit for Operation Warp Speed, the program that accelerated COVID-19 vaccine development during his first term, but he has been reluctant to promote the shots given skepticism within his political base. Florida’s move to end all vaccine mandates this week highlighted the delicate balance. Trump defended vaccines like the polio shot but warned that rolling back requirements is “a very tough position.”
Polling reflects the divide. Democratic trust in vaccines has risen, with 75% of Democrats calling them “very safe” for children, while Republican confidence has dropped to 41%, according to Reuters/Ipsos surveys.
Lawmakers from both parties blasted Kennedy in Thursday’s hearing, though Kennedy’s suggestion that Trump should win a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed seemed to strike the right note with the president. Trump’s allies, including Vice President JD Vance, rushed to Kennedy’s defense online, while critics warned the partnership could have disastrous results for public health.
“They made a marriage of convenience and now it’s leading to unprecedented consequences,” said Yale public health professor Gregg Gonsalves, who praised Operation Warp Speed but warned that Kennedy’s leadership could undermine decades of biomedical progress.
For now, Trump continues to back his health secretary, even as the political and public health stakes mount.
