Despite spending the week courting lawmakers, Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is looking increasingly precarious.
The virulent conspiracy theorist reportedly only has 18 lawmakers clearly favoring his nomination, according to The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond. That’s an equal amount to the number of lawmakers who oppose him, leaving 64 lawmakers still undecided on Kennedy’s future in Donald Trump’s forthcoming administration.
Kennedy’s confirmation is likely to be an uphill battle given his raucous lifestyle that included dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park, unscientific beliefs that include theories that AIDS is not caused by HIV, a vaccine misinformation campaign sparked by his nonprofit that sent Samoa’s vaccination rate plummeting amid a measles outbreak, and claims that he allegedly groped his children’s babysitter in the late 1990s.
He’ll also have to convince lawmakers that his agenda, which opposes vaccine mandates for school-aged children and includes appointing someone who has filed a petition with the FDA to end the approval and “pause distribution” of 13 vaccines, isn’t at odds with the future of America’s health.
If no Democrats side with Kennedy, the “Make America Healthy Again” politico will only be able to afford losing three Republican votes in the Senate.
Some of Donald Trump’s most faithful MAGA acolytes have already voiced their strong opinions in favor of Kennedy’s nomination. After meeting with Kennedy on Tuesday, Florida Senator Rick Scott described the conspiracy theorist as “very impressive” and claimed that he was “pro-vaccine.”
And despite the tough road ahead, Kennedy appeared decidedly optimistic as he navigated the Hill on Tuesday. While heading into Senator Tommy Tuberville’s office, Kennedy told Diamond that the meetings were going “really good.”
