Why Robert Kennedy is still trending on US Election Day, months after withdrawing from the race for the White House | On trend

As Donald Trump edges ever closer to victory in his bid to return to the White House, the name of his former rival and current ally Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is trending online.

Kennedy had previously said in a tweet that if Trump wins, the White House would require all water systems across the country to remove fluoride from public water, which has been added to the water supply since the 1940s. The goal of the supplement was to use fluoride to strengthen teeth and reduce tooth decay.

With trends now indicating that Donald Trump is likely to win the US election, Kennedy's proposal to remove fluoride from water has gone viral again. Kennedy is also expected to play a major role in the Trump administration as a staunch Trump supporter.

Google Trends

Since Tuesday, Robert Kennedy has been searched over 2,00,000 times, viewed on Google Trends and everything related to the water supply debate in the US. The terms “Robert Kennedy” and “RFK Jr.” began trending just before midnight on Election Day.

Robert Kennedy Jr. and fluoride in water

“Fluoride is an industrial waste that has been linked to arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease. “President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump want to make America healthy again,” Kennedy said.

(Also Read: RFK Jr wants to remove fluoride from public water, Trump responds)

Addressing his claims about fluoride, Trump previously said his proposal to remove the chemical from water seemed “fine” to him.

Since the 1940s, the United States has boasted the addition of fluoride to its water supply as one of the greatest public health achievements in the country's history.

However, in 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lowered the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water.

Although Kennedy's claims went viral, no major study has found a link between fluoride drinking water and bone fractures, cancer or osteoporosis, especially in the small amounts added to the water.