Source: WRAL
Over 400 doctors from North Carolina have joined a national effort urging U.S. senators to reject the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kennedy for the role in November, following Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump after ending his 2024 presidential campaign.
In a letter organized by the Committee to Protect Health Care, a doctors’ advocacy group, Kennedy’s nomination was strongly criticized. The letter denounced Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views and opposition to public health measures, describing the nomination as “a slap in the face” to healthcare professionals and “a direct threat to the safety of patients and the public.” Nationwide, over 15,000 doctors have signed the letter.
During a press call on Thursday, three North Carolina doctors voiced concerns about the potential consequences of Kennedy’s nomination. They warned that his anti-vaccine rhetoric and history of spreading scientific misinformation could erode public trust in medical experts, potentially allowing once-controlled diseases like polio and measles to resurface.
“[Kennedy] has spread falsehoods, claiming COVID-19 was engineered to spare specific ethnic groups and promoting discredited and potentially dangerous COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin,” said Dr. Rachel Green, a neonatologist from Asheville. She also noted his advocacy for raw milk consumption, which poses risks of food-borne illness and bird flu. “… [Kennedy] is bad medicine for America’s health, and the Senate must reject his nomination,” Green added.
Kennedy’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, Katie Miller, a Trump transition team spokesperson representing Kennedy, defended the nomination in a statement to NBC News: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr will be confirmed and those who are spending their time undermining him will have no place and no voice at HHS,” Miller said in text. “Good luck and best wishes to them.”
The doctors specifically urged U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, to oppose Kennedy’s nomination. Tillis, who is up for re-election in 2026, faces pressure to balance appeals to moderates and the GOP’s conservative base. He has not yet commented on the nomination.
Dr. Frank Spence, a family physician from Elkin, expressed alarm over the potential public health implications of Kennedy’s leadership. “Undermining the effectiveness of vaccines and the need for immunizations goes against the best interest of public health and personal safety and well being,” Spence said, adding that Kennedy’s appointment could lead to increased outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough.
Notably, Kennedy has benefited financially from promoting his anti-vaccine views, and was even connected to a 2019 outbreak of measles in Samoa that killed 83 people, mostly children.
Kennedy’s nomination has drawn criticism from both political parties. Democrats have condemned his views on vaccines and other public health measures, while some Republicans, including a group led by former Vice President Mike Pence, have opposed him. Pence’s group, Advancing American Freedom, has also sent a letter to the Senate urging rejection of the nomination.
When asked about Kennedy’s controversial positions in December, Trump ignored the concerns. “I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think. I think he’s got a very open mind, or I wouldn’t have put him there,” Trump said.
Dr. Spence remains unconvinced. “Based on past experience,” he said, “that’s not very reassuring.”
While Tillis has, on rare occasions, opposed some of Trump’s actions or views, the only true constant of his political career has been his dedication to preserving his reelection chances. However, if he cares about the health and wellbeing of our nation, he should heed the call of these doctors from his home state and reject RFK, Jr’s nomination.
