As the presidential campaign reaches its climax, former President Donald Trump and a few key supporters are increasingly vocal about anti-vaccine sentiments associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a past independent candidate and known vaccine critic.
During an NBC interview, Trump spoke fondly of Kennedy, stating, “He’s a great guy. I’ve known him for a long time, and everything he wants to do is very straightforward. His main goal is to promote health.”
Although misinformation about vaccines was not a major element of Trump’s 2024 strategy, Kennedy’s recent role and influence have become more significant.
At a gathering in Arizona, which featured former Fox News host Tucker Carlson alongside Kennedy, Trump mentioned that he would support Kennedy’s initiatives about pesticides and vaccines should he win the presidency. “He can have complete freedom to explore that,” Trump affirmed.
Trump also indicated that Kennedy would focus on health issues and women’s health.
In a separate discussion with well-known podcaster Joe Rogan, Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance expressed doubts regarding the coronavirus vaccine. He referred to a moment of realization about societal issues, akin to “taking a red pill” from the popular film “The Matrix.”
Vance shared personal experiences post-vaccination, claiming it was the sickest he had felt in over a decade, questioning the overall efficacy of the vaccine. “I experienced significant issues after getting vaccinated. Later, when I contracted COVID multiple times, I was bedridden for two days,” Vance recounted.
Details of when Vance received his vaccine remain unclear, and his spokesperson did not clarify this. Medical experts noted that Vance’s youth and health indicators suggest he would have benefitted from vaccination before contracting the virus. Normal side effects from the vaccine typically include mild flu-like symptoms that resolve quickly.
Currently, most Americans possess some level of protection against the coronavirus from vaccinations, prior infections, or a combination of both. During the first year of the vaccine rollout, those unvaccinated were over 29 times more likely to contract the virus and require hospitalization. In July 2021, the CDC identified the situation as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
Kennedy has proposed that the risks linked to coronavirus vaccines are greater than the dangers posed by the virus itself; this claim has been largely discredited by health professionals.
The CDC consistently asserts that the adverse effects of the COVID vaccine are not more severe than those associated with the virus itself, which significantly raises the risk of fatality.
In a February NBC News interview, Kennedy did not commit to allowing the FDA to authorize certain coronavirus vaccines for emergency use, suggesting instead that scientific proof of their benefits would be necessary.
The recent comments by Trump and Vance occur after Kennedy supported Trump in August, halting his own presidential campaign. Since then, Kennedy has traveled with various political figures, including former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard, urging the public to support Trump.
This week, Kennedy claimed Trump had vowed to “seize control” of public health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, if he were to be re-elected.
Howard Lutnick, vice-chair of the Trump-Vance transition team, did not refute Kennedy’s statements regarding leading public health agencies, instead echoing Kennedy’s skepticism towards vaccines.
In a discussion with CNN, Lutnick described his lengthy meeting with Kennedy as extraordinary, expanding on debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines causing autism and alleging that the NIH was influenced by pharmaceutical funding.
Despite Kennedy’s long-standing claims linking vaccines to autism, numerous credible studies have consistently disproven this connection, affirming that vaccines do not cause harm.
In a statement to NBC News, Caroline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump campaign, maintained that no official position decisions have been made but emphasized Trump’s commitment to rejuvenating the nation’s health and collaborating with influential voices like Kennedy to combat the rising chronic diseases affecting children.
Trump’s senior advisor Jason Miller stated that the primary aim for the campaign is winning on November 5th, adding that discussions about post-election plans, including Kennedy’s role, would occur later.
During his presidency, Trump supported Operation Warp Speed, an initiative aimed at expediting the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
“Prior to Operation Warp Speed, vaccine development timelines could extend indefinitely, but we managed to achieve extraordinary results with a gold-standard vaccine in less than nine months,” Trump highlighted during a 2020 event.
Sources close to the Trump campaign revealed that Kennedy may lead an initiative focused on childhood chronic diseases under a prospective Trump administration.
At a recent event with Trump, Kennedy affirmed that the former president supports individuals’ right to choose vaccination: “If people want the vaccine, they should have access to it. Our country values free choice, but it’s essential to be informed about the risks and benefits involved.”
