Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, bashed her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week over his views on vaccinations, calling them “dangerous.”
In response to a question at the National Press Club of Australia on Sunday, Caroline Kennedy said President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is out of step with mainstream America when it comes to vaccines.
“I think Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous, but I don’t think that most Americans share them,” she said in remarks previously reported by The New York Times.
The ambassador added that the American public is just getting to know Robert Kennedy, but that she grew up with him and has known about his views “for a long time.”
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“I would say that our family is united in terms of the public health sector and infrastructure and has the greatest admiration for the medical profession in our country,” she said. "Bobby Kennedy has got a different set of views."
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday evening.
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A day after the election, Kennedy told NBC News that he would not take away people’s vaccines.
His disproven claims about vaccines include an assertion that they are tied to autism, despite scientific studies that have provided evidence debunking that claim.
Kennedy has also indicated that the Trump administration would ban fluoride in drinking water and eliminate ultra-processed foods.
Trump last week announced that he intends to nominate Kennedy for the Cabinet post. The former independent presidential candidate dropped his bid before endorsing Trump in August.
The Cabinet post he's seeking would require Senate confirmation, and there's no guarantee that he will get confirmed. Republicans will hold the majority in the chamber starting in January.
The Department of Health and Human Services houses a variety of agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
NBC News reported last week that some FDA staffers were weighing a quick exit should Kennedy be selected for a prominent health role.
Caroline Kennedy this week also commented on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence, saying her confirmation would be a “great concern,” but cautioned attendees to “wait and see” what happens with the president-elect's picks.
“Let’s see what happens with President Trump’s appointments,” the ambassador said. “They’ve been catching, you know, making waves, headlines.”
“Let’s just calm down and wait to see what happens,” she added.
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