Who is Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump's health czar, who claimed 'worm ate' his brain

Robert F Kennedy Jr has repeatedly claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, a theory that has been widely debunked by scientific research.

In Short

• RFK Jr nominated by Trump to lead Health Department
• He is known for anti-vaccine stance and conspiracy theories
• Trump aims to challenge established health practices with appointment

Robert F Kennedy Jr, a scion of the renowned political family and widely known as RFK Jr, who is known for promoting medical conspiracy theories and his controversial views on vaccines, has now been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Trump told Kennedy Jr, "We want you to come up with things and ideas and what you've been talking about for a long time and I think you're going to do some unbelievable things".

Once approved by the Senate, controlled by Trump's Republican Party, 70-year-old Kennedy will take charge of the Health Department, a vast institution with a budget nearing $2 trillion.

WHO IS ROBERT F KENNEDY JR

RFK Jr is the son of Robert F Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F Kennedy. He has a long history of environmental activism, particularly through his work with the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organisation he helped found to protect water resources.

As an environmental attorney, he has also been involved in various legal battles against large corporations, including DuPont and Monsanto.

VACCINE CONTROVERSY

Kennedy is perhaps most controversially known for his anti-vaccine stance. He has repeatedly claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, a theory that has been widely debunked by scientific research. He founded the Children’s Health Defence, an organisation that promotes these views, and has been a vocal critic of the COVID vaccines.

Though Kennedy insists he is not "anti-vaccine," citing that he has never told the public to avoid vaccination, he has repeatedly opposed it. In one instance, he said in a podcast, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective”.

He has also said he wants to fire 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health, which oversees vaccine research, and replace them with 600 new employees.

On another occasion, Kennedy said he would recommend that water agencies stop adding fluoride to drinking water. Fluoride strengthens teeth and is viewed as one of the biggest public health successes of the past century, according to NBC News.

Kennedy has made unscientific claims about his personal life as well. One of them was a statement that a parasitic worm once entered his "brain and ate a portion of it and then died".

In August of this year, a decade after the shocking discovery of a bear cub carcass in Manhattan’s Central Park, Kennedy admitted that he had dumped the dead bear in the park in 2014. He said it was a prank.

A photo had emerged showing Kennedy dramatically preparing to take a bite of a charred animal, which was claimed to be a dog. However, he later clarified that it was actually a goat.

In a separate incident, a federal law enforcement agency had launched an investigation against Kennedy after he allegedly severed the head of a dead whale and took it home two decades ago. The probe was closed later.

Kennedy's father, Robert F Kennedy, served as Attorney General and was the brother of President John F Kennedy. Both men were tragically assassinated.

Initially, Kennedy entered the Democratic primary to challenge President Joe Biden but later chose to pursue an independent bid. He suspended that campaign earlier this year and endorsed Donald Trump, who has consistently praised Kennedy.

Kennedy's appointment is seen as part of a broader effort by Trump to challenge established health policies and practices. While Republicans argue that his appointment could bring a fresh perspective to the department, particularly in challenging the pharmaceutical industry and addressing chronic diseases, critics are concerned about his anti-vaccine rhetoric and its potential impact on public health policies.