Trump Unleashes Health Policy Overhaul with Controversial Picks
In a bold move signaling a drastic shift in U.S. healthcare policy, former President Donald Trump has assembled a team of health policy contrarians to lead key federal agencies. This sweeping rearrangement signals a foreseeable dismantling of conventional public health approaches and advocates for a radical reform of how the federal government manages medicine, health programs, and nutrition.
At the helm of this transformative agenda stands Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trump’s nominee for the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s premier medical research agency. Bhattacharya, an outspoken critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates, becomes the latest in a string of Trump nominees who have challenged established COVID-19 health measures.
This agenda, dubbed "Make America Healthy Again", draws heavily from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s fervent vision for a health revolution. Kennedy, chosen by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – the overarching body supervising the NIH and other health agencies – advocates for eliminating thousands of additives from American food, rooting out conflicts of interest within health agencies, and incentivizing healthier food choices in school lunches and other programs.
This health-focused overhaul presents a stark contrast to Trump’s first term, which prioritized deregulation for food, drug, and agricultural companies.
“This time around, we’re hearing a completely different tune," cautions Gabby Headrick, a nutrition researcher at George Washington University’s school of public health. "It’s crucial that we proceed with caution and remember some of the public health setbacks we faced during his first presidency."
Many of Trump’s nominees for these crucial health roles lack experience managing large bureaucratic agencies, but they are highly skilled at communicating their views aggressively on television.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a familiar face to many Americans from his long-running talk show, has been tapped to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a position demanding oversight of healthcare coverage for over 160 million Americans.
Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and vocal critic of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is destined to lead that agency. Additionally, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a frequent contributor to Fox News, is Trump’s choice for Surgeon General.
Several of these nominees have strong Florida ties, mirroring a pattern seen with many of Trump’s other cabinet nominees. Dave Weldon, Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), served as a Florida Congressman for 14 years.
Here’s a closer look at how Kennedy’s ambitious plans to "reorganize" these influential agencies, boasting a combined budget of $1.7 trillion and employing 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors, and other officials, might unfold:
National Institutes of Health
With a budget of $48 billion, the NIH funds medical research nationwide through grants and conducts its own research.
Bhattacharya, a health economist and physician at Stanford University, co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, a controversial document released in October 2020. The declaration, published before the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, promoted the idea of acquiring herd immunity by allowing low-risk individuals to live normally while building immunity through infection.
“I think the lockdowns were the single biggest public health mistake," Bhattacharya stated during a panel discussion organized by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in March 2021.
The Great Barrington Declaration was embraced by some members of Trump’s first administration but widely condemned by disease experts. Then-NIH director Dr. Francis Collins labeled it dangerous and "not mainstream science."
Bhattacharya’s nomination requires Senate approval.
Kennedy has announced plans to pause NIH’s drug development and infectious disease research, shifting the agency’s focus to chronic diseases. He also intends to restrict NIH funding for researchers with potential conflicts of interest. Notably, in 2017, Kennedy asserted that the NIH was not adequately researching the alleged link between vaccines and autism – a long-debunked theory.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Atlanta-based CDC, responsible for safeguarding Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats, has a core budget of $9.2 billion.
Kennedy has consistently attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption within the agency. On a 2023 podcast, he stated, “There is no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC’s vaccination guidelines for children.
Kennedy’s views align with Weldon, who served in the army, practiced internal medicine, and represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009.
Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon became deeply involved in the debate surrounding thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, and its suspected link to autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and sought to ban thimerosal from all vaccines.
Since 2001, all routinely recommended vaccines for children under six years old manufactured for the U.S. market have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of some flu vaccines.
Numerous studies have consistently debunked any causal link between thimerosal and autism. Weldon’s congressional voting record suggests he may support Republican efforts to shrink the CDC, including eliminating the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which focuses on issues such as drownings, drug overdoses, and shooting deaths.
Food and Drug Administration
Kennedy’s criticisms of the FDA, which employs 18,000 people and oversees the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines, and other medical products, as well as cosmetics, electronic cigarettes, and most food, have been unrelenting.
Makary, Trump’s choice to head the FDA, is a surgeon and cancer specialist at Johns Hopkins University. He aligns with Kennedy on several issues.
Makary has condemned overprescribing drugs, the use of pesticides in food, and the influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has hinted at dismissing entire FDA departments and has threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of unproven products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk, psychedelics, and discredited COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine.
Makary’s contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for COVID-19 vaccine boosters in young children.
Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
This agency provides healthcare coverage to over 160 million Americans through Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, and determines Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors, and other providers. With a budget of $1.1 trillion and more than 6,000 employees
While Trump aimed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act during his first term, Kennedy hasn’t yet targeted the law.
While the Biden administration recently proposed requiring Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound for many obese Americans, Kennedy opposes the idea, advocating instead for government-sponsored insurance programs to increase coverage of healthier foods and gym memberships.
Trump pledged to protect Medicare during his campaign. Oz has supported expanding Medicare Advantage – a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also prone to widespread fraud.
Surgeon General
Kennedy has remained largely silent on what he expects from the Surgeon General, the nation’s top doctor, who has limited administrative power but can influence perceptions of public health dangers and suggest actions like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence a public health crisis in June.
Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, Nesheiwat, works as a medical director for CityMD, a chain of urgent care facilities in New York City. She has also appeared on Fox News and authored a book promoting the "transformative power of prayer" in her medical career. She endorses a brand of vitamin supplements.
## Trump’s Health Revolution: “Make America Healthy Again” Raises Red Flags
**World-Today-News Exclusive Interview with Dr. Sarah Jones, Public Health Expert**
**World-Today-News:** Former President Trump has unveiled a bold health policy agenda dubbed “Make America Healthy Again,” featuring controversial nominees with sweeping plans to reform key federal agencies.Dr. Sarah Jones, a leading public health researcher and expert on health policy, joins us today to analyze this potentially radical transformation. Dr. Jones,thank you for joining us.
**Dr. Jones:** Thank you for having me. These nominations are certainly causing waves in the public health community.
**World-today-News:** Could you elaborate on the concerns surrounding Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trump’s nominee for the NIH, and his stance on lockdowns and vaccine mandates?
**Dr. Jones:** Dr. Bhattacharya’s co-authorship of the Grate barrington Declaration, which advocated for achieving herd immunity through widespread infection, is a major red flag. This approach was widely criticized by the scientific community for its ethical implications and potential for overwhelming healthcare systems. While his expertise in economics and public health is undeniable, his views on COVID-19 mitigation strategies raise serious concerns about his ability to lead an institution tasked with funding cutting-edge medical research responsibly.
**World-Today-News:** Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for HHS, has been vocal about his distrust of vaccines and pharmaceutical companies.How might his views influence the policies of the NIH and the CDC under his leadership?
**Dr. Jones:** Mr. Kennedy’s rhetoric surrounding vaccines is deeply concerning and contradicts overwhelming scientific evidence supporting their safety and efficacy. His appointment could have a chilling effect on vaccine research and growth at the NIH and jeopardize public trust in the CDC’s recommendations. The potential for politicization of science at these crucial agencies is a serious threat to public health.
**World-Today-News:** Many of Trump’s nominees lack experience managing large government agencies, yet excel at communicating their views on television. Is this a deliberate strategy to prioritize messaging over governance experience?
**Dr. Jones:** This pattern seems to suggest a preference for individuals who can effectively communicate their message, even if it aligns with a more fringe ideology, over those with proven experience managing complex bureaucracies. This raises concerns about the ability of these nominees to effectively navigate the complexities of federal health agencies and implement sound policies.
**World-Today-News:** how might Kennedy’s plans to revamp the NIH, potentially halting drug development and infectious disease research, impact ongoing medical advancements?
**Dr. Jones:** Such a drastic shift in priorities could have a devastating impact on medical research and innovation. Pausing drug development and infectious disease research would significantly hamper our ability to combat current and future health threats, potentially jeopardizing efforts to develop treatments for debilitating diseases and prepare for future pandemics.
**World-Today-News:** What message does this health policy overhaul send to the international community and the global health landscape?
**Dr.Jones:** This radical approach could undermine the United States’ role as a leader in global public health. The disregard for established scientific consensus, coupled with the potential for politicization of science, sends a worrying signal to international partners who rely on the US for leadership and collaboration on global health issues.
**World-Today-News:** Dr. Jones, thank you for shedding light on these crucial issues. This “Make America Healthy Again” agenda presents a complex and potentially perilous reshaping of US health policy. The world will be watching closely to see how it unfolds.
