Mike Bloomberg cautions against appointing RFK Jr. as HHS secretary, fearing it could lead to fatal consequences, and urges the Senate to reject him.
- Billionaire Mike Bloomberg criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his anti-vaccine record.
- Donald Trump, after being elected as President, appointed RFK Jr. to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- If Trump refused to withdraw his nomination for RFK Jr., Bloomberg urged the Senate to vote against him.
On Tuesday, Mike Bloomberg, a billionaire and public health advocate, criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointment as U.S. health secretary by President-elect Donald Trump, due to his anti-vaccine stance, and urged the Senate to reject his nomination.
If RFK Jr. had been in office during Trump's first term, Bloomberg said at the Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington D.C.
"If Operation Warp Speed had not occurred, how long would vaccines have been delayed? How many fewer people would have received the shot? And how many more people would have died as a result?"
He stated that it is certain that Covid would have been even deadlier and more economically devastating if it had occurred.
If RFK Jr. were given the authority to direct U.S. health policy, he cautioned, it would be "extremely hazardous, it would amount to medical negligence on a massive scale."
The former mayor of New York City spent most of his 19-minute speech attacking Kennedy's claims about the safety of vaccines, particularly his assertion that the Covid-19 vaccine was the "deadliest vaccine ever made."
As mayor and through his philanthropic efforts, Bloomberg, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, has long advocated for public health reforms.
RFK Jr. initially ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat, but later switched to an independent bid and eventually endorsed Trump.
RFK Jr.'s campaign, fueled by his prominence as an environmental lawyer and the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, allowed him to amplify his conspiracy theories regarding vaccines.
In his speech on Tuesday, Bloomberg urged U.S. senators not to confirm RFK Jr. for a Cabinet position in the next Trump administration.
"No one, including Kennedy or Trump, should be allowed to cause immense suffering to the American people," he stated.
If Trump sticks with his decision to nominate RFK Jr., the Senate must vote no, according to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg criticized Democrats who were considering appointing RFK Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services due to his advocacy against unhealthy foods.
"Americans deserve both a pro-healthy food advocate and a pro-vaccine supporter," he stated.
As mayor, Bloomberg advocated for many restrictions on unhealthy products, including a ban on large sugary drinks. However, these efforts were met with opposition from conservatives and negatively impacted consumer industries.
RFK Jr. has also adopted a similar approach, supporting a plan aimed at "Making America Healthy Again" in collaboration with Republicans.
Bloomberg boasted about his contributions to increasing New Yorkers' life expectancy and highlighted the ongoing health initiatives of his philanthropic foundation.
If the federal government retreats from vaccines, the progress made will disappear, potentially leading to millions of unnecessary deaths, according to him.
If the government invests in "nutty conspiracy theories," funding for researching cures for other diseases could be delayed by years, Bloomberg warned.
He stated that it was astonishing that the Senate would contemplate granting Kennedy any authority whatsoever regarding American health policy.
"Despite his stance on food policies, his opposition to vaccines remains strong."
Politics
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