Trump names Kennedy Jr. as 'vaccine conspiracy theory' for health and human services secretary

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., who raised vaccine conspiracy theories as secretary of health and human services for the second Trump administration.

"Americans have long been trampled by pharmaceutical companies involved in deception and disinformation about public health," Trump said, explaining why Kennedy Jr. was selected.

He then emphasized, "We will restore the tradition and transparency of scientific research to end the spread of chronic diseases and make the United States great and healthy again."

Kennedy Jr. is a member of the Kennedy family, a prestigious Democratic political family, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was shot dead in 1963, and the son of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968.

Although he has been a member of the Democratic Party, he left the party in October last year ahead of this year's presidential election and ran as an independent presidential candidate, and has argued for conspiracy theories since before COVID-19, saying that the use of vaccines causes autism.