RFK Jr. says 'entire departments' of FDA 'have to go'

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to play a potentially big role in a new Trump administration, said Wednesday that there are “entire departments” within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that “have to give up.” .

“In some categories … there are entire departments, like the FDA's nutrition division … that have to go, that are not doing their job, they are not protecting our children,” Kennedy said during an interview on MSNBC.

Kennedy endorsed President-elect Trump in August after running first as a Democratic presidential candidate and then as an independent.

Trump's victory in the presidential election makes Kennedy himself the winner, who will likely play some role in the Trump administration's health care system.

Kennedy said last week that Trump had assured him that he would get a role in the White House if he won the presidential election.

“We don’t know what I’m going to do. “I spoke to the president about it yesterday and he asked me what I wanted and I said we're developing a proposal now,” Kennedy said during a separate interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, who asked if Kennedy would get it Job of Secretary of Health and Human Services.

This job would require Senate confirmation. Republicans are expected to have a majority of at least 52 seats in the Senate, but it is unclear how easy it would be to get Kennedy confirmed. There was much speculation that Kennedy would take on a role that did not require Senate confirmation.

Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump's transition team, recently said Kennedy was “not getting a job” as HHS chief.

Asked whether he would abolish health authorities, Kennedy told MSNBC: “As long as it requires congressional approval, I wouldn't do that.”

“I can get corruption out of the authorities,” he added.

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