Billionaire and public health advocate Mike Bloomberg criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. health secretary, for his anti-vaccine stance. Bloomberg urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination to lead the nation’s top health agencies during the Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington D.C. He questioned what would have happened if Kennedy had been in office during Trump’s first term, suggesting that the COVID-19 response would have been more deadly and economically damaging.
Bloomberg warned that giving Kennedy power over U.S. health policy would be “beyond dangerous” and likened it to “medical malpractice on a mass scale.” He focused on Kennedy’s dissemination of vaccine misinformation, including false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine. Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate, has been a longtime advocate for public health reforms.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, initially ran for president as a Democrat in 2024 but later switched to an independent bid and endorsed Trump. Bloomberg directly appealed to U.S. senators not to confirm Kennedy to a Cabinet role in the next Trump administration, emphasizing the potential harm to the American people.
He expressed hope that Senate Republicans would persuade Trump to reconsider Kennedy’s nomination. Bloomberg criticized Democrats who might support Kennedy due to his stance against unhealthy foods, emphasizing that Americans deserve leaders who support both healthy food and vaccines. He highlighted his own efforts to improve public health during his mayoral tenure and through his philanthropic foundation.
Bloomberg warned that stepping back from vaccine initiatives could reverse progress in combating diseases like diabetes and heart disease, potentially leading to millions of preventable deaths. He cautioned against investing in conspiracy theories, which could hinder research into cures for other illnesses. Bloomberg urged the Senate not to grant Kennedy any authority over American health policy, citing his anti-vaccine stance as a significant concern.
