Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. On Wednesday, he has his first confirmation meeting in front of senators. On Thursday, he will go before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
There was a lighthearted moment during the hearing when RFK Jr. said he did not plan to prevent Americans from things like McDonald’s or Diet Coke, joking that he knows President Trump also occasionally indulges in those items.
RFK Jr: “I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like a McDonald’s cheeseburger, Diet Coke, which my boss LOVES, you should be able to get them.”
WATCH:
🚨 RFK Jr: "I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like a McDonald's cheeseburger, Diet Coke, which my boss LOVES, you should be able to get them."
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 29, 2025
RFK Jr. met with Republican senators in December after Trump nominated him in order to convince those skeptical of his past positions that he would fulfill the president’s vision for HHS. Kennedy is one of the most high-profile figures nominated by Trump for his Cabinet. At the time, GOP sources said they believed he is in a strong position ahead of his hearings.
“He’s in a good spot. You haven’t really heard much consternation about his nomination at all in recent weeks,” one Senate GOP aide told The Hill.
The aide added that GOP senators expect that Kennedy will focus on “Make America Health Again” issues and that he no longer supports liberal abortion policies.
“If that turns out to be true, I think he’ll be on a glide path to being confirmed,” the aide said.
That said, an organization that former Vice President Mike Pence founded had launched a pressure campaign earlier this month to convince Republican senators to reject RFK Jr. Pence — who served as Trump’s vice president in his first term — is opposed to RFK Jr. due to his previous support for abortion.
“Whatever the merits of RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again initiative—indeed, whatever other qualities a nominee might possess—an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,” Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman and Board Chairman Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff, wrote in a letter to senators.
“While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,” they wrote.
It marked the second formal effort by Pence and his organization to block Kennedy’s confirmation. Shortly after Trump announced Kennedy’s nomination, Pence issued a statement urging senators to reject him due to his past support for abortion, The Hill reported.
Trump has consistently stated that abortion access should be determined by individual states as per the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Roe v. Wade ruling. During the campaign, he presented himself as a moderate on the issue.
However, Pence, a staunch religious conservative, has increasingly criticized his former boss on policy matters, particularly abortion. Pence previously described Trump’s stance as a “slap in the face” to those opposed to abortion.
For his part, one of Kennedy’s widely reported objectives has been to decrease children’s intake of ultra-processed foods.
“We have a generation of kids who are swimming around in a toxic soup right now,” Kennedy previously told Fox News. “We’re letting these industries corrupt our agencies and mass poison them.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, the senior medical analyst for Fox News, appeared in November to discuss the HHS Secretary nominee’s plans to address the prevalence of ultra-processed foods, which currently make up 73% of the U.S. food supply. He said one of the biggest dangers in processed foods is dyes.
“Food coloring is a problem,” he said. “Red Dye No. 3 has been banned in Europe. They’re banning it in California. It’s been associated with cancer in animals.”
He also said studies have linked food dyes to hyperactivity in kids.
Siegel noted that Democrats and Republicans have advocated banning certain food dyes, but these efforts have faced strong resistance from the food industry and its lobbyists.
“There’s a concern here that if this ends up with more regulations, that will drive prices up—and food grocery store prices are already a problem,” Siegel added, noting that he agreed with RFK Jr.’s concerns about ultra-processed foods harming children. Some of the most harmful additives include MSG and high-fructose corn syrup, which directly contribute to obesity, according to Siegel.
Nitrates are another concern, as studies have shown they can cause cancer in animals, Siegel explained. He also highlighted the health risks associated with excessive sugar and salt consumption. “People just get drawn in to eat and eat and eat, and they gain weight,” Siegel said.