RFK Jr facing pushback to his appointment from the right – but it has nothing to do with his conspiracy theories
Robert F Kennedy Jr has questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and slammed the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk — but some Republicans are warning he may not be right to lead federal health agencies for an entirely different reason: his stance on abortion.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped RFK Jr to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary on Thursday, sparking concern from anti-abortion and pro-abortion Americans alike. Leaders across the spectrum of abortion stances have spent the day since he was appointed posting videos of his contradictory views.
During his independent presidential bid, RFK Jr praised Roe v Wade, saying he was “for choice and medical freedom.” One of the leading critics of Trump’s choice is his former number two, former Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence, an evangelical Christian who for decades championed pro-life legislation, issued a statement through his nonprofit Advancing American Freedom on Friday.
The Trump-Pence administration “was unapologetically pro-life,” the former veep wrote. “I believe the nomination of RFK Jr to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of Pro-Life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades.”
He urged the Senate Republicans to reject his nomination: “If confirmed, RFK, Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in modern history.”
Pence wasn’t alone in his views.
Alexandra DeSanctis Marr, a fellow at conservative thinktank Ethics & Public Policy Center, warned on X: “HHS is a critical agency for the pro-life cause. Through a well-run HHS, GOP administrations can undo pro-abortion policies and advance pro-life ones. RFK Jr. has said he supports ‘full-term abortion’ or at least abortion until viability—this is not a win for pro-lifers.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told the Washington Examiner on Friday: “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we have concerns about Robert F Kennedy Jr.”
She continued: “I believe that no matter who is HHS secretary, baseline policies set by President Trump during his first term will be reestablished.”
However, some abortion advocates have also voiced concerns about Trump’s HHS pick, pointing out his apparently wavering stance on reproductive health care.
“RFK Jr said he’d sign a nationwide abortion ban. And just last week, he was talking to Donald Trump — who’s responsible for overturning Roe — about becoming his VP,” nonprofit Reproductive Freedom for All wrote on X.
“The bottom line is this: RFK Jr can’t be trusted to protect reproductive freedom,” the group wrote, attaching a clip of him saying he supports a national ban of the procedure at three months pregnant.
Doctor and Congresswoman-elect Maxine Dexter similarly took issue with Trump’s HHS nominee, writing on X: “As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how dangerous anti-public health conspiracies hurt patients and undermine trust in care. RFK Jr has spent years spreading anti-vaccine lies, backing a national abortion ban, and pushing harmful conspiracies. He’s not qualified to lead HHS.”
Before he was elected, Trump said at a rally that he had told RFK Jr that he could “do what he wants” with women’s healthcare.
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, summed up the wide range of responses to the nomination: “RFK Jr has had at least three positions on abortion in the past year. He’ll support whatever the Trump administration wants.”