Summary
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken anti-vaccine activist, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Known for promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, Kennedy’s appointment has sparked concerns within federal health agencies, with some FDA staff reportedly considering resignations.
Kennedy, who previously ran for president before endorsing Trump, has hinted at plans to overhaul the FDA, ban fluoride in drinking water, and reduce ultra-processed foods.
His nomination marks a significant potential shift for U.S. public health policy.
To all you who didn’t vote because “Harris isn’t good either”: You chose this. You let this happen.
When kids start dying of Whooping Cough, I’m going to strongly encourage people to post their anger and direct it to not only Republican voters, but also to people who stayed home because “it doesn’t matter.”
Democrats were perfectly capable of enacting electoral reform in the blue states they control, allowing these people who felt unrepresented to be involved and engaged. Some of them might have picked the democrats as their 2nd pick.
Why did the democrats say no to these easy extra votes? Why did they say no to having multiple chances at defeating the republicans? Why did they prioritize restricting election access to 3rd parties over defeating the republicans?
But now people can see that the difference between democrats and republicans is like choosing between “sleek shit” and “shitty shit”. It’s all shit, but packaged differently.
The US really needs a third option and it used to have one.
I think if I was an american and I was a democrat, and trump was in for re election, I would vote democrat no matter what.
Why are you triggered by getting called out? You some sorta librul’?!
It’s quite pathetic how so many of these stories have top comments that all blame voters for the decades of compound failures by the Democratic party.
You have it backwards my friend, voters cannot fail the party. It’s the party’s job to win voters, but instead, they shed 14 million voters over the last election.
Remind me, how many users are on Lemmy?
The Dems put up a good fight. Biden needed to leave earlier. Harris could’ve had an actual answer to what she would’ve done differently. The reality is they were fighting a huge uphill battle. We’ve got an extremely ignorant and uninformed citizenry with little understanding of the functioning of government. I’m talking about Americans a proud and reactionary group of people. There was zero chance after picking Kamala that the Democratic party was going to pivot from their neo-liberal views and what movement they did was towards the center.
Now that they’ve lost so decisively maybe we’ll see a window to move the party in a progressive direction. Personally I think the Dems need to get back to supporting labor unions. If we are going to “reindustrialize” this country because we are doing war with China then we should want strong labor organization. Get some progressives to run on policies that put people first instead of property and capital.
That would probably require getting money out of politics. In the meantime focus on continuing to improve the quality of life in blue states and blue cities. As far as the voters they didn’t fail the party they failed the country. We are going to see a bunch of our fellow citizens lose more of their rights.
It’s so cute that you think there will be a democratic party in four years. Trump has literally vowed to persecute political opponents. That alone should’ve been a non-starter to voting for him, even if you agree with everything else he says. Forget about the long history of corruption, proven in a court of law, that he will now get away with, scot-free.
“Individuals have no responsibility to be informed or compassionate whatsoever. That’s some corporate fuckheads’ role”
Why do people keep on insisting on this dumbass bullshit?
So just so we’re clear here, you acknowledge that it is “corporate fuckheads” who run the DNC, but insist they aren’t to blame for losing 14m votes.
In fact, it’s actually my fault, your neighbor’s fault, and anyone of voting age who isn’t employed by the DNC.
No one asked you to fess up to not voting, but ya know what, it’s not surprising
lol wut
And when he dissolves elections, like he also said he would, who’s going to win you over then.
Again, the Democratic party lost this election, not me, or any other voter.
So while you identified a potential future problem, it feels like you’ve misdiagnosed who’s to blame for that possibility.
So many downvotes for such an objectively true statement. It’s not “we the party” it’s “we the people” if dems didn’t win that’s objectively the parties fault for not winning us over.
Do you think there is only one party at play getting to govern the way they like?
Are you confused?
But think about the donors and lobbyists’ bottom line
What on Earth is the NIH thinking right now?
I mean, what if an moon landing skeptic took over NASA? It’s like that. They literally produce this mountain of evidence and organize this stuff, and… yeah.
So everyone funded by kremlin, gotcha
What could possibly go wrong ?
This guy is like a Nurgle devotee or something, right?
Ban floride testing of the water, there’s no treatment used in mass water to remove all natural occurring floride.
Y’all still gonna trust vaccines when the next pandemic hits? Cuz I aint trusting these RFK worm-infested vaccines.
Mask your biohazard self if you’re not getting vaccinated for the next 4 years, thanks.
Or blue states can start manufacturing their own vaccines. fuck them red states lol, they brought this upon themselves.
I don’t know what about that comment signaled to you that I’d be okay with my family members that live in a red state dying because RFK fucked with vaccines, but I’m not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Where you live is a location, not an ideology.
Has Trump rehired anyone from his previous administration? I know he fired a shit ton of them but I know a few managed to stay on.
Because if this is all new people, it’s very telling and I have a feeling it means it’s going to be more dangerous and not less.
I feel like the only people who can do anything powerful would be the front line government workers and contractors. If they all quit their jobs en masse on January 20th, it might prevent the new administration from doing even more dangerous shit.
Stephen miller, which is not reassuring.
No betsy devos, yet.
Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, I believe. She didn’t serve in an office before, but was high-level in his campaign in 2016, 2020, and 2024, so she’s around for a long time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susie_Wiles
Didn’t just show up with Trump, has done Republican campaigns for a long time.
Lol the whole plan is to fire any government worker that doesn’t step into line and replace them with party loyalists.
Every government worker that objects to Trump’s Agenda quitting would help that agenda. There’s no shortage of cronies willing to do any job for the sake of “Making America Great Again”. And it’s not like he needs qualified people in these positions. Most of the government agencies, he wants to run into the ground. Easier to get rid of regulations or to privatize that way.
Make smallpox great again!
And Polio, and Mumps, And Measles, and Rubella, and… and… and…
Don’t forget one of the most effective vaccines of all time against a 99.9999% deadly disease, rabies.
Eagle flu comin’
Patriotic red tailed hawk screech
It’s infuriating how terrible all of these nominees are. Their only goal is to destroy the institutions.
Gen Z:
The memes, tho!! Lulz
You know you got brain rot when you’re blaming gen z
I don’t see them being blamed for it, but they will make fun of it.
Theres plenty of idiots blaming if you just look. Even this guy who commented above you insinuates it lol
I’d venture that the same can be said for those who put their hopes in gen z
I feel like these articles blowing up now is just a way to make people less interested when it eventually has to pass the Senate… manufacturing consent and all that
Perfect reason for a strike.
Lulz, good job guys!
Did any other US residents just get a text from cdc’s v-safe program? 👀
Yeeees…out of the blue. Odd coincidence.
