Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Donald Trump’s transition team, questioned the safety of vaccines in a conversation with CNN’s Caitlan Collins on Wednesday night.
“The vaccine is safe” Mr Collins saidtalks about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s self-reported likelihood of being “promised” by the former president to become head of the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture if Trump wins the 2024 election.
“Why do you think vaccines are safe?” Lutnick countered, adding, “There is no product liability anymore.” Collins responded, “Because it’s been proven…kids understand that and it’s okay,” and asked Lutnick, “Why do you think they’re okay?”
According to CNN, President Kennedy said during a livestream event Monday that President Trump “promised me that HHS and its subordinate agencies, the CDC, the FDA, the NIH, several other public health agencies, as well as public health agencies. It’s about managing,” he said. The USDA, as we know it, is the key to America’s health. ”
Lutnick also claimed that both he and Collins “know more” people with autism now than they did when they were younger. Collins was quick to claim that “vaccines do not cause autism,” pointing out that Kennedy is also spreading that falsehood, adding, “That’s why people think he can get a job like HHS. I’m concerned about that,” he said.
Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s 2024 transition team, was photographed speaking at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 27. Lutnick questioned the use of vaccines while speaking on CNN Wednesday night. …co-chairman Howard Lutnick speaks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 27. Lutnick, a member of Trump’s 2024 transition team, questions the use of vaccines while speaking on CNN Wednesday night. did. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Kennedy, who suspended his independent presidential campaign in August before endorsing Trump, is an anti-vaxxer campaigning against vaccinations and other public health measures such as the use of fluoride in public water supplies. He is the founder of the for-profit organization Children’s Health Defense.
The Trump campaign has not confirmed Kennedy’s statement that he is promised a role in the former president’s potential administration. But President Trump said at a rally in New York City on Sunday that if he wins next week, he will “drugify” Kennedy and make him go wild.
President Trump said in part, “Robert F. Kennedy cares more about humanity, health and the environment than anyone else.” “It’s such an honor to have him…I’m going to get him hooked on health, I’m going to get him hooked on medicine, I’m going to get him hooked on medicine.”
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment late Wednesday via email.
Health experts have expressed concerns about the impact if Kennedy is given the seat under the Trump administration. At Monday’s American Public Health Association meeting, President Trump’s former Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, spoke about how President Kennedy’s influence on President Trump’s chances for a second term will affect “the health of the nation.” He said he was concerned about this.
“If RFK were to have a significant impact on the incoming administration, it could further undermine people’s willingness to stay up-to-date on recommended vaccines, with implications for public health, the economy, and the world.” I’m concerned about the impact,” Adams said at an event in Minneapolis, according to Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times.
Updated October 30, 2024, 11:10 PM ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
