{"id":2369269,"date":"2024-11-15T06:12:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T11:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rfk-jr-tapped-as-hhs-secretary-the-controversies-surrounding-trumps-cabinet-pick-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-15T06:13:11","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T11:13:11","slug":"rfk-jr-tapped-as-hhs-secretary-the-controversies-surrounding-trumps-cabinet-pick-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rfk-jr-tapped-as-hhs-secretary-the-controversies-surrounding-trumps-cabinet-pick-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"RFK Jr. tapped as HHS secretary: The controversies surrounding Trump&#8217;s cabinet pick &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frfk-jr-tapped-as-hhs-secretary-the-controversies-surrounding-trumps-cabinet-pick-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2369269&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In an announcement made \u200con Thursday, President-elect\u200c Donald Trump\u200c appointed Robert F. Kennedy\u200b Jr.\u2064 as the Secretary of Health and Human Services,\u200c amidst \u2064a flurry of\u2063 Cabinet picks. Kennedy, \u200ba notable figure due to his controversial stances on medical and health issues, previously \u2062ran for president in the 2024 Democratic primary \u200bbefore transitioning to\u2063 support Trump&#8217;s \u2063campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The article outlines several controversies surrounding Kennedy.\u2063 It mentions a peculiar medical \u200dincident\u2064 in 2012 when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-lineman-sidelined-for-remainder-of-season-after-doctors-find-blood-clots-in-lung-leg\/\" title=\"NFL Lineman Sidelined For Remainder Of Season After Doctors Find Blood Clots In Lung, Leg\">doctors reportedly discovered<\/a> a dead parasite in his brain, leading \u2064to public\u200d speculation about his health. Additionally, Kennedy faced backlash for allegedly eating a \u200ddog\u2014though he \u2063insists\u2064 it was actually goat\u2014and\u200d for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">previously\u200d suggesting federal abortion bans<\/a>, before retracting and altering his position.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy&#8217;s history of bizarre actions, \u2062such as leaving \u200ba dead bear in \u200bCentral Park as \u2063a\u200b prank and being investigated for \u2063allegedly transporting a dead whale&#8217;s skull, adds to his notoriety. Furthermore,\u2062 he has propagated conspiracy theories about the 9\/11 attacks. As he prepares to take on \u200dthe role of HHS Secretary, these controversies\u2063 raise questions about his suitability\u2063 for\u200d the position.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">RFK Jr. tapped as HHS secretary: The controversies surrounding Trump&rsquo;s latest Cabinet pick<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1882061\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President-elect<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> Donald Trump<\/a> continued his whirlwind of Cabinet pick announcements on Thursday afternoon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3230376\/trump-expected-to-pick-rfk-jr-for-hhs-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">tapping Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a> to lead the Department of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/health-and-human-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Health and Human Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, ran for president in the 2024 Democratic primary but later ended his bid to run as an independent candidate. Since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3132445\/rfk-jr-trump-endorsement-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">dropping out of the race<\/a> in October, he become a Trump surrogate in the now-president-elect&rsquo;s successful White House run.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3223892\/president-elect-donald-trump-cabinet-picks-list\/\"><strong>TRUMP CABINET PICKS: WHO&rsquo;S BEEN TAPPED TO SERVE IN THE PRESIDENT-ELECT&rsquo;S ADMINISTRATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As well as his stance on vaccines, chemicals in food, and nutrition, the newly named HHS nominee has made a habit of being a walking headline magnet. Here are some of the most notable controversies that have been unearthed in recent months:<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He said doctors found a dead parasite in his brain<\/h2>\n<p>After Kennedy reportedly experienced memory loss in 2012, a brain scan revealed a dark spot on his brain, which was then believed to be a tumor. But in a deposition uncovered by the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/08\/us\/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html#:~:text=Several%20infectious%20disease%20experts%20and,Kennedy%20and%20were%20speaking%20generally.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York Times<\/a><\/em>, a doctor offered another explanation: a parasite that ate part of his brain and died.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/2995737\/rfk-jr-campaign-laughs-idea-parasite-ate-part-brain-lingering-effects-fitness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said in May<\/a> that the&nbsp;parasite would not affect his fitness to be president. He later committed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3018111\/kennedy-releasing-medical-records-brain-worm-revelation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">releasing his medical records<\/a> should he be elected to the White House.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/2995737\/rfk-jr-campaign-laughs-idea-parasite-ate-part-brain-lingering-effects-fitness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click here to read the full story.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He was accused of eating a dog<\/h2>\n<p>Kennedy also faced backlash for a picture in a <em>Vanity Fair<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/robert-kennedy-jr-shocking-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a>&nbsp;that appeared to show him eating what is reported to be a barbecued dog. The then-presidential candidate pushed back on those claims and <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3067530\/rfk-jr-former-babysitter-accuses-sexual-assault\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> it was a goat.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview on&nbsp;<em>NewsNation<\/em>, Kennedy said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a very adventurous eater. I&rsquo;ll eat anything, but I wouldn&rsquo;t eat a dog.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Kennedy also said during a Tuesday appearance on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/cuomo-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>CUOMO<\/em><\/a>, &ldquo;It is a goat, and you are what you eat.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3068881\/rfk-jr-denies-he-ate-dog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><em>Click here to read the full story.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He changed his stance on abortion &mdash;&nbsp;then changed it again<\/h2>\n<p>While on the campaign trail as a Democratic presidential hopeful, Kennedy suggested he would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/633438\/rfk-jr-claims-he-would-sign-abortion-ban-after-first-trimester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">support a federal abortion ban<\/a> after the first trimester. <\/p>\n<p>His campaign quickly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2569364\/rfk-jr-backtracks-on-abortion-comments-always-the-womans-right-to-choose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">launched into cleanup mode<\/a> and walked back his comments, releasing a statement saying Kennedy believes &ldquo;it is always the woman&rsquo;s right to choose&rdquo; and that he &ldquo;does not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rfk-jr-backtracks-on-abortion-comments-always-the-womans-right-to-choose\/\" title=\"RFK Jr. reverses stance on abortion: &#039;Woman&#039;s right to choose always&#039;\">support legislation banning abortion<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The then-candidate later took a different stance in an appearance on&nbsp;<em>The Sage Steele Show<\/em>, where he advocated against government involvement in abortion, &ldquo;even if it&rsquo;s full term.&rdquo; After backlash online, he issued a clarifying statement on X, saying he meant that late-term abortions should be reserved for babies with major health problems that affect their viability.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3000858\/rfk-jr-walks-back-stance-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click here to read the full story.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank<\/h2>\n<p>Kennedy once retrieved a bear that was killed by a motorist and left it in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York&rsquo;s Central Park<\/a>&nbsp;with a bicycle on top, sparking a mystery that consumed the city a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RobertKennedyJr\/status\/1820132549798347109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1820132549798347109%7Ctwgr%5Eb6615e256ac25863749dc8232bf5ea7676d3f5da%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2F3110380%2Frfk-jr-left-dead-bear-central-park-prank%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">video<\/a> posted on social media, Kennedy recounts the story to actress Roseanne Barr, saying he was heading to a falconry excursion with friends when a woman driving ahead of him hit and killed the young bear with her vehicle. He says he put it in his own vehicle, intending to skin it and eat the meat, but the day got away from him.<\/p>\n<p>When later in Manhattan, Kennedy said he needed to get the carcass out of his vehicle and that his friends, fueled by alcohol, came up with the Central Park plan as a prank. Kennedy, who claims he was not drunk, said his friends thought it would be funny to make it look like the bear was hit by a bicycle.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3110380\/rfk-jr-left-dead-bear-central-park-prank\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click here to read the full story.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He was investigated over a dead whale carcass<\/h2>\n<p>Kennedy previously faced a federal investigation over allegations that he transported the body of a dead whale from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/massachusetts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Massachusetts<\/a>&nbsp;to New York decades ago and kept the skull in his home.<\/p>\n<p>The claim was first made by his daughter, Kathleen &ldquo;Kick&rdquo; Kennedy, in a 2012 magazine article published by <em>Town &amp; Country<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3206305\/rfk-jr-whale-carcass-investigation-closed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">investigation was closed<\/a> on Oct. 16, with a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson saying authorities &ldquo;determined the allegations to be unfounded.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3134962\/environmental-groups-want-investigation-into-rfk-jr-whale-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click here to read the full story.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">He floated conspiracy theories surrounding 9\/11<\/h2>\n<p>In a video posted on X, Kennedy said he &ldquo;won&rsquo;t take sides on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/9-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">9\/11<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My take on 9\/11: It&rsquo;s hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kennedy wrote on the social media platform. &ldquo;But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I won&rsquo;t take sides on 9\/11 or any of the other debates. But I can promise is that I will open the files and usher in a new era of transparency.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In September 2023, Kennedy joined a podcast with Peter Bergen in which the pair talked about the collapse of building 7 World Trade Center caused by debris from the Twin Towers. Kennedy said he wasn&rsquo;t entirely convinced by the results of the federal government&rsquo;s investigation into the building&rsquo;s collapse.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;I know there&rsquo;s strange things that happened,&rdquo; he said at the time. &ldquo;One of the buildings came down that wasn&rsquo;t hit by a plane.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3071010\/rfk-jr-conspiracy-theory-president-wont-take-sides-9-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Click here to read the full story.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1882061\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1882061\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RFK Jr. named HHS secretary amid Trump Cabinet controversies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2369270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Robert-F.-Kennedy-Jr.-_vv3.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[14281,45053,32458,39368,32076],"class_list":["post-2369269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-controversies","tag-hhs-secretary","tag-rfk-jr","tag-trump-cabinet","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Robert-F.-Kennedy-Jr.-_vv3.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2369269"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2369273,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369269\/revisions\/2369273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2369270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2369269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2369269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2369269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}