Here's Why Many Want RFK Jr.

Some see Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Heath and Human Services as a reckless gamble. Others see it as the kind of radical move America needs in light of the dismal state of U.S. health care.

Obesity: Kennedy has repeatedly spoken out about America’s obesity epidemic, which is one of the worst in the world.

General health: He’s made tackling chronic disease a priority, noting that Americans have a shorter life expectancy than many of their global counterparts.

Diet: RFK’s railed against the evils of ultraprocessed foods, which have come to make up more than half of the average American’s daily calories.

Big Pharma: He has been a longtime thorn in the side of major pharmaceutical companies, which are widely believed to have played a significant role in the U.S. opioid crisis.

The system: With frustration over healthcare at an all-time high, Kennedy said this week that Americans are dissatisfied with both government-run programs and private plans under the Affordable Care Act.

OK, but: The conservative writer David Harsanyi has compiled a list of some of RFK’s oddball stances and controversies over the years.

• Kennedy once supported single-payer health care and late-term abortion (although he’s since shifted on the issue).

• He suggested COVID was engineered to target specific racial groups, but spare Jews.

• RFK has advocated for shutting down all fossil fuel and nuclear energy, leading the effort to close Indian Point nuclear plant.

• He praised COVID lockdowns, citing environmental benefits.

• He called the NRA a “terror group.”

The hearings: This week, supporters praised Kennedy’s confirmation hearing performance, applauding his fiery criticisms of Big Pharma and the negative health impacts of ultraprocessed foods.

• Opponents, meanwhile, cited his struggles with health policy questions—such as his unfamiliarity with the basics of Medicare and Medicaid—as proof he’s unfit to lead HHS.

• Kennedy’s back-and-forth with Sen. Elizabeth Warren also raised eyebrows, as he refused to pledge he wouldn’t financially profit from suing drug companies while in office.

Bubba’s Two Cents

Does Donald Trump see a kindred spirit in RFK? Before 2016, both men would likely have been dismissed as too fringe to be electable. Now, their willingness to touch third-rail issues gives them staying power. Voters today seem less concerned with a candidate’s overall coherence and more with whether they feel heard—flaws, contradictions, and all. Maybe, for Trump, RFK represents yet another sign that the old rules of politics are dead.