Former 'deputy' opposes Trump's choice for health minister
Báo Thanh niên•16/11/2024
Former US Vice President Mike Pence is urging Republican senators to reject President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.
US President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 14 his nomination of Mr. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. Kennedy Jr. is the son of the late Senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. He ran in the last presidential election as an independent candidate but later withdrew and supported Mr. Trump.
Former US Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event in Washington DC (USA) on March 31, 2023
Photo: Reuters
Mr. Kennedy Jr. has attracted attention for promoting many conspiracy theories and doubting scientific research, according to The Guardian . He is one of the most famous anti-vaccine figures in the US, claiming that he knows more about the epidemic than scientists. However, Mr. Pence on November 15 raised another issue to oppose the nomination of Mr. Kennedy Jr. Mr. Pence said that making Mr. Kennedy Secretary of HHS would be an "abrupt change" from the anti-abortion stance of Mr. Trump's first term, and that it caused concern for millions of Americans who support the Republican Party, according to Newsweek. Mr. Pence explained that for most of his career, Mr. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) defended abortion on demand throughout the 9 months of pregnancy. "If accepted, RFK Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican-appointed HHS Secretary in modern history," Mr. Pence added. He called on Republican senators to reject the nomination. It was not immediately clear how Trump would respond to Pence's call. Many have questioned whether some of Trump's controversial cabinet appointments — such as Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary and Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general — would receive enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate, according to Newsweek . Republicans took control of the Senate after the 2024 election, but some have expressed reservations about some of Trump's appointments. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump loyalist, told CNN on November 15 that if Republican senators choose to block appointments like Kennedy Jr., they will have to deal with Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and his pro -Trump super PAC, and the American people, according to Newsweek .
![[Photo] Closing of the 13th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/08/1759893763535_ndo_br_a3-bnd-2504-jpg.webp)
Comment (0)