# Could RFK Jr. Really Become HHS Secretary? {Yes, he did} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 30, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451 "2024-10-30T16:19:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/162 "2025-04-18T14:28:08Z")
My point is that neither the medical device inspectors nor the cruise ship inspectors are costing the taxpayer anything so saving money is a bullshit excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/163 "2025-04-18T16:44:40Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > “They’ll never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” Well, 4 out of 5 ain’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/164 "2025-04-18T18:27:13Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > Musk asked pro-Trump crypto influencer Tiffany Fong on X-formerly-Twitter if she was interested in having his child, despite having never met in person. I kind of prefer to flirt a bit, in person or online, but certainly in person before I suggest impregnation. Possibly several dates. Some meaningful conversation. A little respect for the lady I am trying to woo. I mean, sure, I am South African and all, but fuck Elon Musk. .., “you’re ‘it’”, USA, no take backsies. He is yours now. Good luck to us all. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/165 "2025-04-18T20:39:43Z")
I’ll admit that I laughed out loud at this. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/166 "2025-04-18T21:29:38Z")
Malcolm Gladwell’s latest podcast, part one with part 2 yet to come, is about RFK’s campaign of lies against the rotavirus vaccine, a medication that has saved millions of babies. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/167 "2025-04-18T21:36:01Z")
I caught rotavirus in 2023 and it damn near killed me. I had about 30 bouts of diarrhea in a 12-hour period and lost about 20 pounds in water weight, and went into hypovolemic shock to where I was cramping up so severely I couldn’t stand up or walk on my own. I had to crawl from the bathroom to the phone to call 911. In the ambulance I was 180 BPM with a blood pressure of 90/55. I spent 36 hours in ICU and another three days in a recovery room after that. The fact that younger generations will probably never have to experience something like that is a scientific miracle. Fuck RFK. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/168 "2025-04-18T22:21:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My point is that neither the medical device inspectors nor the cruise ship inspectors are costing the taxpayer anything so saving money is a bullshit excuse. Sorta. Why do you think the Feds will stop charging companies for the inspections just because they don’t actually do them? IOW, keep the revenue stream, nix 100% of the cost stream. Companies will happily pay for inspections that never happen because of the negative reports that’ll also never happen. They also know that a damning report and closure “for public safety” happens quickly if they quit paying. This is \*exactly \* how stuff works in corrupt shit-hole countries. Which is exactly trump’s goal. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/169 "2025-04-21T17:46:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Malcolm Gladwell’s latest podcast, part one with part 2 yet to come, is about RFK’s campaign of lies against the rotavirus vaccine, a medication that has saved millions of babies. I was coming to post info about this podcast. I knew RFK Jr was fucking nuts, but now I also would label him a man that will lie greatly to further push his nutty ideas. Also, whatever respect I had for Woody Harrelson is now gone. I didn’t have any for Joe Rogan but now I have even less if that is possible. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/170 "2025-04-21T23:39:49Z")
I’m pretty sure he, or his speechwriter anyway, didn’t write that “they’ll never…” statement. ISTR hearing it years ago, in this case about people with Down syndrome, about whom we also know now is usually not true. The people with autism, or DS, who are this way usually have plenty of other things wrong with them that causes them to be this severely impaired. He also said something about “Why don’t you see nonverbal toe-walkers my age at the local mall?” I’ll tell you why. Again, people who are that severely disabled from birth usually don’t live anywhere near 71 years, and the ones who do are probably institutionalized, even if it’s at the local nursing home. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/171 "2025-04-22T21:11:26Z")
HHS has announced that we’ll be phasing out some artificial food dyes in the US over the next year or so (and starting quite soon): > **[HHS, FDA move to phase out 8 artificial food dyes in the US](https://abcnews.go.com/US/rfk-jr-plans-phase-artificial-food-dyes-us/story?id=121034287)** > > The Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday a series of measures to phase out eight artificial food dyes. [**Kayfabe**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe). The [**Western Pattern Diet**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_pattern_dietv) is essentially – no offense to dogs – dog shit. The _problem with_ dog shit really isn’t the artificial food coloring that pretties it up. The problem with dog shit is that it is, in essence, dog shit. Kayfabe. An HHS person was on Fox News declaring victory, genuflecting before Dear Leader, and explaining how every lobbyist knee will bend to Trump’s indomitable will. Meanwhile, the lobbyists called their industry captains and said, “Yeah. We’re fine.” But it’s damned good television, isn’t it? And does anything else _really_ matter? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/172 "2025-04-22T21:19:45Z")
Actually I can’t think of any reason to oppose the banning of these artificial dyes. Isn’t this a rere good idea on behalf of RFK Jr? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/173 "2025-04-22T21:20:37Z")
I’m not opposed to the idea. I’m opposed to the level of victory – against overwhelming odds – that they’ll claim they achieved. I’m against tripping over dollars to pick up dimes. This is a dime. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/174 "2025-04-22T21:25:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Isn’t this a rere good idea on behalf of RFK Jr? I think it’s more the fact that you can’t trust the source to implement it properly. He has had other suggestions that on paper sound good. But given the overall poor judgement of the man and lack of **any** actual credentials that would indicate he had the faintest idea of how to do this properly, and the Trump administration purging the executive branch of competency and experience, I think the best thing for RFK Jr, his department, and the Trump administration as a whole is to do as little as possible. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/175 "2025-04-22T22:34:20Z")
Your “Western Pattern Diet” link doesn’t work. This one does. > **[Western pattern diet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_pattern_diet)** > > The Western pattern diet is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of pre-packaged foods, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, high-sugar drinks, candy and sweets, fried foods, industrially produced animal products, butter and other high-fat dairy products, eggs, potatoes, corn (and high-fructose corn syrup), and low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasture-raised animal products, fish, nuts, and seeds. > Dietary pattern analysis focuses on overa... ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/176 "2025-04-22T22:46:34Z")
Thanks. It seemed to have picked up a trailing ‘v’ somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/177 "2025-04-22T23:30:01Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > It seemed to have picked up a trailing ‘v’ somehow. My WAG is you hit the “v” twice with a Ctrl-v as you pasted it. (Because I’ve done that before.) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2025, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/178 "2025-04-23T00:01:42Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I think it’s more the fact that you can’t trust the source to implement it properly. Yes. I don’t believe in eliminating food ingredients because “there are studies.” I can find a study (or law review article) to prove whatever I want. However, I could support harmonizing rules on food additives with the EU. If Made in America ever ceases to be a do not buy labels for Europeans, banning the same dyes banned in the EU would help our exports. And if it makes some RFK Jr supporters happy, I’m willing to pay the price. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/179 "2025-04-23T03:29:04Z")
All these dyes being proposed are allowed in EU except Green No. 3. Red 40 is allowed (under the name E129) but is supposed to have a label. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2025, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/180 "2025-04-25T05:14:42Z")
> Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is using private medical records to [create](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-autism-study-medical-records/) a registry of people with autism in the United States. > > The National Institutes of Health is helping to collect private medical records from government and commercial databases to give to the secretary of health and human services, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said Monday. The records include prescription records from pharmacies, lab testing, and genomics records from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, private insurance claims, and data from smartwatches and fitness trackers. The NIH is also working on an agreement to secure Medicare and Medicaid data. > **[RFK Jr. Set to Launch Disease Registry Tracking Autistic People](https://newrepublic.com/post/194245/rfk-jr-disease-registry-track-autistic-people)** > > And he’s using private medical records to make it happen. But remember: > **[RFK Jr pledges to find the cause of autism 'by September'](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0z9nmzvdlo)** > > Autism researchers and experts call the effort, which is short on detail, misguided and unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2025, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451/181 "2025-04-27T14:04:21Z")
Here’s a recap of RFK, Jr’s background (40 min. video): [RFK Jr: Everything You Didn’t Know About His Sh\*tty Past](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0iCMldBYgw) > On episode 18 of “This F\*cking Guy,” Hysteria podcast hosts Erin Ryan Crooked staff writer Julia Claire, dive deep into RFK Jr.'s skeleton-filled closet. From his freaky obsession with animal carcasses, to pouring gasoline on the anti-vax movement, to his current tomfoolery as Trump’s HHS Secretary, this might be our most nauseating guy yet. I’ve seen a few videos of theirs, and they’re pretty humorous. Their _This F\*cking Guy_ series includes background dives on various douches like Musk, Murdoch, Zuckerberg, S Miller, and, of course, Trump. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rfk-jr-really-become-hhs-secretary-yes-he-did/1009451.md?page=10)