Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent figure in the political landscape and a former Democrat turned ally of Donald Trump, made waves at the Genius Network Annual Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Saturday.
He urged the incoming Trump administration to act swiftly to implement sweeping changes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His plan? Replace up to 600 individuals within the agency on day one of the new administration.
“We need to act fast, and we want to have those people in place on Jan. 20, so that on Jan. 21, 600 people are going to walk into offices at NIH and 600 people are going to leave,” Kennedy stated.
His proposal is part of a broader vision to reform the way federal health agencies operate, which he believes have become too heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. He referred to this situation as a form of “corruption” that has negatively affected the health and safety of Americans.
Kennedy, 70, has long been an outspoken critic of the intersection between government health agencies and the pharmaceutical sector, which he believes has led to regulatory capture.
His call for drastic change at NIH is rooted in his desire to break what he sees as a damaging cycle where agencies meant to regulate the pharmaceutical industry are instead influenced by it.
At the event, Kennedy also shared his ongoing efforts to raise funds, aiming to gather $10 million before President-elect Trump’s inauguration. The money would go toward filling key positions in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and ensuring that they are ready to take immediate action in the new administration.
“We need to be able to respond very quickly, and we need to have a really, really good crack staff right now,” Kennedy said, noting that he was working to provide housing and salaries to those who would take on these critical roles.
Kennedy also offered a glimpse into Trump’s decision-making process when it comes to staffing his administration. He described the process as fast-paced and efficient, with Trump quickly assessing potential candidates using giant screens, detailed biographies, and video clips to make decisions.
According to Kennedy, Trump, who listens to input from his team, including Kennedy, his daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, and entrepreneur Elon Musk, ultimately makes the final call in personnel decisions.
“These are all alpha people,” Kennedy remarked, highlighting the strength of ideas within the room. “But [Trump] makes the decisions.”
Despite speculation about a significant role for Kennedy in the incoming administration, particularly related to health policy, Trump’s White House transition co-chair, Howard Lutnick, dismissed the idea of Kennedy becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Lutnick explained that Kennedy’s primary goal is to prove the validity of his views on vaccines, rather than to take on an official cabinet role. “That’s not what he wants to do,” Lutnick said. “He just wants data, and he wants to prove things [about vaccines] are wrong.”
While Kennedy’s potential role in the Trump administration remains unclear, his influence on health policy issues, especially regarding vaccine safety, is expected to be a major topic of focus. As the new administration prepares to take shape, all eyes will be on how these reforms unfold.