President-elect Donald Trump said in a press conference on Monday that he's "a big believer in the polio vaccine" amid concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and his stance on vaccinations.
"I think everything should be looked at, but I'm a big believer in the polio vaccine," Trump said on Monday during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
His comments come shortly after a report from The New York Times last week that attorney Aaron Siri, who is currently helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. select federal health officials, in 2022 filed a petition with the government to revoke approval for the polio vaccine and to pause the distribution of 13 other vaccines. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Kennedy is set to meet with senators this week in an attempt to stem concerns about his vocal criticism of vaccinations.
Trump previously said, "The polio vaccine is the greatest thing," but when asked on Monday if schools should be allowed to mandate vaccinations, Trump said, "I don't like mandates. I'm not a big mandate person."
He later said, "You're not going to lose the polio vaccine. It's not going to happen."
Trump also said that Kennedy is "going to be much less radical than you would think" during the press conference on Monday but added that "there are problems" and said, "We're going to find out what those problems are."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who survived polio as a child, released a statement on Friday saying, "Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they're dangerous." He added: "Anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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