Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on the incoming Trump administration Saturday to “act fast” in reshaping the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by overhauling leadership, including the potential replacement of up to 600 staff members.
Speaking at the Genius Network Annual Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kennedy emphasized the urgency of staffing changes, underscoring the need to have personnel ready on the first day of Trump’s administration. “On Jan. 21, 600 people are going to walk into offices at NIH and 600 people are going to leave,” he declared, envisioning a sweeping transformation at one of the nation’s key health agencies.
Kennedy, a long-time critic of what he views as the pharmaceutical industry’s “capture” of federal health agencies, believes that this overhaul could root out what he describes as pervasive corruption at the NIH and other health-related agencies. Kennedy contends that undue influence from Big Pharma has compromised public health in favor of industry profit, a theme he has vocalized in his advocacy and as a former presidential candidate.
To support this effort, Kennedy is working to raise $10 million ahead of Trump’s January inauguration to fund the transition team’s operations and to help recruit and retain top talent for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and related roles. According to Kennedy, the funds will help provide essential resources such as staff salaries and temporary housing in Florida, allowing new appointees to hit the ground running. “We need a really, really good crack staff right now,” he said, stressing the importance of a prepared and dedicated team in the days leading up to the inauguration.
NEW: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he intends to fire 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The comments were made at an event in Scottsdale over the weekend where RFK stressed the importance of acting fast.
An audience member reportedly asked him what he would… pic.twitter.com/ezqR5X4J1x
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 12, 2024
Kennedy also offered a glimpse into Trump’s rapid-fire decision-making process for selecting personnel. The president-elect’s meetings feature profiles of potential candidates on large screens, with biographical details and video clips that Trump reviews swiftly. “He comes into the meeting and…he goes through them very, very quickly and he says, ‘I want that guy,’” Kennedy explained, describing Trump’s assertive approach. Present at these sessions are Kennedy himself, Elon Musk, and Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, his daughter-in-law. “These are all alpha people,” Kennedy noted, “but [Trump] makes the decisions.”
Although Kennedy has been a vocal critic of vaccines and has called for more transparency and scrutiny around vaccine safety, Trump’s transition co-chair, Howard Lutnick, has publicly dismissed the idea of Kennedy taking on the role of HHS Secretary. According to Lutnick, Kennedy isn’t seeking a traditional leadership position; instead, he’s focused on conducting thorough investigations into health and safety concerns, especially regarding vaccine efficacy and safety.
“He just wants data, and he wants to prove things [about vaccines] are wrong,” Lutnick explained, emphasizing that Kennedy’s mission is not to dismantle public health policies but to ensure they are grounded in transparent, evidence-based science.
Kennedy is expected to play a pivotal health policy role in the Trump administration, though his exact title remains unclear. His influence, however, is anticipated to be substantial, especially as the administration looks to tackle health policy reform with the fervor and direction Kennedy advocates. In a post-election environment where the stakes are high and the pressure to enact immediate change is intense, Kennedy’s presence in Trump’s circle signals a possible shift toward more stringent oversight and scrutiny of the nation’s health agencies.
