U.S. President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Kennedy’s wife Cheryl Hines pose after Kennedy was sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. Kennedy, who faced criticism for his past comments on vaccine, was confirmed by the Senate 52 to 48. Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote against him. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
UPDATE: 5:45 PM – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially been sworn in as the new Human and Health Services Secretary.
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Shortly after he was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday in a 52-48 vote, he was sworn into his new position at the Oval Office by Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch.
President Donald Trump, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), as well as RFK Jr.’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines, and his children were present to watch him take his official oath.
Trump adamantly praised Kennedy, while also acknowledging that when Kennedy took the leap of faith and decided to join him on the campaign trail — he brought a coalition of support with him.
“He really worked very hard, and he had tremendous support, unbelievable support. And I think a lot of that support came my way when we decided to do a merger,” Trump said. “And it was really great. And it was very loyal, very loyal, incredible people.”
The 47th president then went on to sign an executive order, establishing a new commission to “Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy will chair the new commission, whose purpose is to investigate the causes of the decades-long increase in childhood chronic illnesses.
“He’s absolutely committed to getting dangerous chemicals out of our environment and out of our food supply, and getting the American people the facts and the answers that we deserve after years in which our public health system has squandered the trust of our citizens,” Trump continued.
“For 20 years, I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I could end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country.
As Kennedy addressed the attendees, he first reflected on his visit to the Oval Office.
“My first time in this Oval Office was in … 1962. I came here, and I had a meeting with my uncle who was president then, where we talked about the environment. He was involved very deeply, as we all know, in restoring physical fitness in this country.”
RFK Jr. Sworn in as HHS Secretary. @RobertKennedyJr Jr saying that for 20 years he prayed to be in a position to end the childhood and chronic disease epidemic in the U.S.
The former Democrat also thanked President Trump for trusting in him to take on the position.
“For 20 years, I got on my knees every morning and prayed that God would put me in a position where I could end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country,” Kennedy said.
“On August 23 of last year, God sent me President Trump. He’s kept every promise he’s made to me. He’s kept his word in every account and gone way beyond it. … I’m so grateful to you, Mr. President.”
9:09 AM – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed by the Senate to become the next Human and Health Services Secretary.
Senators voted 52-48 on Thursday to place the 71-year-old Kennedy in charge of the country’s health bureaucracy, with oversight of a budget of an estimated $1.7 trillion.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), just like with Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday, was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy, along with every Democrat.
Kennedy, who has been known as a skeptic of vaccines, had received support from Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), which were crucial votes to get him in President Donald Trump’s cabinet.
“I continue to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination,” Murkowski said Wednesday.
“Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and I sought assurance that, as HHS Secretary, he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or discourage vaccination efforts.”
“He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research,” she added.
“These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.”
Another Republican skeptic, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, put his support behind him after RFK Jr. promised to meet with him regularly and that he would understand the importance of vaccines.
Kennedy is known for criticizing the safety and effect of vaccines for polio, measles and hepatitis B. He wrote multiple books on the matter and founded the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, which has sued pharmaceutical and government companies over vaccines in the past.
Due to his opposition to vaccines, RFK Jr. faced heavy criticism from members of his former political party during his confirmation hearings in the Senate HELP and Finance Committees.
Furthermore, he almost ruined his chance at receiving Republican support despite repeatedly saying he was “pro-vaccine.”
Throughout the rocky confirmation process, the former Democrat had garnered most Republicans support to become the next health secretary, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), whose panel vetted Kennedy.
“Mr. Kennedy’s decades of experience and deep drive to advocate on behalf of consumers will set a patient-centered tone at the department,” Crapo said in a floor speech Wednesday, citing “his passion for addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic.”
During his first confirmation hearing, Kennedy received attention about the eye-popping statistics he revealed about chronic disease and the increase of obesity in the U.S.
“When my uncle was president, 3% of Americans were obese. Today, 74% of Americans are obese or overweight,” RFK Jr. told Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in the hearing. “Epidemics are not caused by genes. Something is poisoning the American people, and we know that the primary culprit’s our changing food supply.”
“As he has demonstrated in both public and private settings, Mr. Kennedy is committed to reorienting our approach to health care and restoring faith in our institutions,” Crapo said on the Senate floor, promising the nominee “will save lives, reduce costs and establish a foundation for a healthier, stronger country.”
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