Trump won’t rule out banning vaccines if he becomes president

Former President Donald Trump said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would play a “big role in the administration” if he wins Tuesday and told NBC News in a telephone interview that he is open to some of his more controversial ideas.

Kennedy, who ran for president this year as an independent before backing out and backing Trump, has a long history of peddling conspiracies and lies about vaccines and other public health issues. For example, he has often stated What vaccines linked to autismalthough research has refuted this theory for decades.

Asked Sunday whether banning certain vaccines would be an option during a second term, Trump did not rule it out.

“Well, I’m going to talk to (Kennedy) and talk to other people and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” Trump said.

Trump has declined to talk about the specific role Kennedy might play in a second administration, but he has made clear in recent public appearances that he envisages a prominent role for him.

“He can do whatever he wants,” Trump said at an event Thursday in Arizona.

He said Kennedy “is going to be involved in health care and women’s health issues,” and two sources close to the Trump campaign told NBC News that he could play a prominent role in fighting “…chronic childhood disease“

On Friday, Kennedy tweeted that on his first day in office, the Trump administration insist on banning fluoride in waterclaiming that it is “industrial waste” that leads to problems such as cancer and other diseases.

“Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I think it’s fine,” Trump said Sunday when asked about the plan. – You know, it’s possible.

Major public health groups water fluoridation supportand health groups also stress that the practice is safe.

Trump’s team has hugged Kennedy and some of his fringe views in recent days.

Last week, Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, praised Kennedy and questioned whether the vaccines were “good.”

On last week’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, also spoke about his experience with the Covid vaccine, expressing skepticism about this.