Ex-HHS chief: Trump RFK Jr. selection 'terrifying'

Kathleen Sebelius, a former Democratic governor who served as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary during the Obama administration, said having anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the department is "very frightening" for Americans.

"To have someone coming into a scientific agency that is a vaccine skeptic and may well undo decades of public health work, I think, is terrifying for the American public who rely on HHS from cradle to grave for resources, for information, for public health, for oversight of our food and medicines," Sebelius told CNN's John Berman.

"That, to me, is a very frightening aspect for the American public," she added.

Trump has faced some backlash after tapping Kennedy, who brings a deep skepticism of pharmaceutical companies and the federal agencies overseeing them, to head HHS.

The president-elect's choice sparked concern among Democrats and public health experts who worry Kennedy could meddle with key government agencies, amplify vaccine hesitancy and direct agency funding to favor his preferred views.

Kennedy will need to be confirmed by the Senate to take his role. The GOP is expected to hold a 53-47 majority.

When asked if Kennedy is "qualified for this job," Sebelius was quick to voice her doubts.

"I'd say no. He has no organizational management experience, and HHS is one of the largest domestic organizations," Sebelius said, adding that the department has several thousands of employees and an almost $2 trillion dollar budget. HHS has more than 83,000 employees, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and its website says it has a budget of $1.7 trillion in mandatory proposed budget authority for fiscal 2024.

On the campaign trail, Trump had said he would let Kennedy "go wild" on issues related to food, medicine and health in his second administration, a line that his son, Donald Trump Jr., also enthusiastically repeated to conservative media after his father’s victory.

Kennedy, who mounted a 2024 presidential bid initially as a Democrat, then as an independent, but ultimately dropped out, endorsed Trump and became a surrogate for his campaign, has said federal health regulators are “sock puppets” held captive by industry special interests. He has promised to purge entire departments at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate corruption.

“If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags,” Kennedy wrote in a post on the social platform X in October.