Article Summary –
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services despite Kennedy’s history of promoting conspiracy theories and opposition to abortion rights. Kennedy has expressed willingness to sign a federal abortion ban after three months and has used misleading rhetoric about “late-term abortions,” which experts assert have no basis in medicine or science. Furthermore, Kennedy has raised concerns about the safety of the abortion medication mifepristone, contradicting evidence from the global scientific community, and he has indicated openness to working with anti-abortion leaders, potentially restoring policies that restrict abortion access.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nominee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Known for promoting conspiracy theories, Kennedy has claimed that vaccines cause autism, HIV doesn’t cause AIDS, and COVID-19 is a bioweapon. He also has reservations about abortion rights.
In a 2023 NBC interview during his presidential campaign, Kennedy expressed support for abortion rights during the first trimester. He indicated he might sign a federal ban on abortions after three months.
Kennedy, who once called every abortion a tragedy, has spread misinformation about “late-term abortions,” a term often used by anti-abortion advocates to describe abortions after 24 weeks.
In 2005, Kennedy identified as pro-life and later labeled some abortions as “elective late-term” on his Facebook page.
According to The Guardian, Katherine Kraschel, a law and health assistant professor, dismissed the notion of “late-term abortions” as a myth, lacking medical basis.
CDC data shows 93.5% of U.S. abortions occur before 13 weeks, with less than 1% after 21 weeks. Dr. Warren Hern, a specialist in later-stage abortions, noted that such cases usually involve severe fetal abnormalities.
Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s running mate, has criticized in vitro fertilization. She called it a major health lie, as reported by the New Republic.
Shanahan’s IVF stance began after being refused treatment due to polycystic ovary syndrome. She later conceived naturally and voiced her frustrations to The New Yorker.
In an EWTN interview, Kennedy raised concerns about mifepristone’s risks. However, this contradicts global evidence supporting its safety.
Mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen, was FDA-approved in 2000 and is used in over half of U.S. abortions, as noted by the Guttmacher Institute.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists asserts mifepristone’s safety.
Politico reports Kennedy is open to collaborating with anti-abortion figures at HHS, including Roger Severino and Eric Hargan, who are seeking roles.
These advocates urge Kennedy to appoint anti-abortion leaders at HHS and reverse policies expanding abortion access, such as Biden’s HIPAA updates and FDA rules on mail-order abortion pills.
During his first term, Trump enforced the domestic gag rule, restricting abortion counseling at Title X clinics, and rolled back contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
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