In an interview, former President Donald Trump said that former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed anti-vaccine sentiments, would “have a big role” in his administration -- and that he was open to Kennedy’s proposals to ban certain vaccines and advise that fluoride should be removed from drinking water.

What You Need To Know

  • Former President Donald Trump said antivaccine conspiracy promoter and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would “have a big role” in his administration
  • He also said was open to Kennedy’s proposals to ban certain vaccines and advise that fluoride should be removed from drinking water

  • Vaccines recommended in the United States and mandated for many public school children are widely deemed to be safe and effective by the broader scientific community, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and dozens of independent medical organizations across the country and the globe

  • Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

“I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds okay to me. You know it’s possible,” Trump told NBC News reporter Dasha Burns on Sunday morning.

On banning certain vaccines, Trump said “I'm going to talk to him and talk to other people, and I'll make a decision, but he's a very talented guy and has strong views.”

Vaccines recommended in the United States and mandated for many public school children are widely deemed to be safe and effective by the broader scientific community, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mayo Clinic, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and dozens of independent medical organizations across the country and the globe. Kennedy is a longtime, prominent proponent of debunked public health claims surrounding vaccines and has been accused of spreading harmful misinformation, including in the Pacific island nation of Samoa where one expert said his false claims “resulted in the amplification of the epidemic and an increased number of children dying” from measles. Kennedy has denied any responsibility to the growth of the anti-vaccine movement in Samoa.  

On Saturday, Kennedy wrote on social media that the next Trump administration would advise local water agencies “to remove fluoride from public water” on Jan. 20, the first day of the next presidential term.

It was not clear if Kennedy discussed Saturday’s post with Trump or his aides. The Trump campaign did not answer directly, and a spokesperson for Kennedy did not respond when asked.

“While President Trump has received a variety of policy ideas, he is focused on Tuesday’s election,” Danielle Alvarez, Trump campaign senior adviser, said.

Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa wrote on Sunday that “Donald Trump's closing message is empowering an anti-vax, anti-abortion, conspiracy theorist,” calling it a “losing message for a losing campaign.”

In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.

Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.

In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.

A federal judge later cited that study in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.

In his social media post Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiff in that lawsuit, the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch.

What role Kennedy might hold if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.

Kennedy, who first ran as a Democratic challenger to President Joe Biden before mounting an independent presidential campaign, dropped out of the race in August and endorsed Trump, making frequent campaign stops for the former president in the months since. Trump often mentions having the support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

Last week, the Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal by Kennedy to get his name off the ballot in the key swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin. On Friday, he traveled with Trump and spoke at his rallies in those two states.

Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy: “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want” except oil policy.

“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants kids, he wants everything,” Trump added.