No. of Recommendations: 6
It's a bit of a risky move on Trump's part to add Kennedy in this role.
No, not because of all of the "weird" baggage that RFK, Jr. brings along with him. It's just that he is
super squishy (in conservative eyes) reproductive freedom, and even got a little upside-down being
too in favor of abortion rights earlier in his campaign:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-reverses-abort...Normally this wouldn't matter. Trump will be endorsed by some people who are pro-choice. He might even name one or two people who are pro-choice to the transition team.
But RFK's thing is
health. That's his issue set - vaccines and public health and all that stuff. It seems to be Shanahan's reason for being involved with his campaign as well. So when RFK is given a particular portfolio to handle in the transition team, it's
probably going to be Health and Human Services/FDA appointments. That was almost certainly his ask in exchange for his support - to shape incoming health policy if Trump wins.
So naming him to the transition team and cutting a deal for his support and dropping out is going to send a....well, not a
great signal to the right-to-life wing of the party. Now that
Roe is gone, the playing field for abortion fights at the federal level has moved away from court appointments to administrative policy in HHS and the FDA. Using the Comstock Act, clamping down on regulatory approval for telemedicine service on abortion medication, keeping services out of federal health programs, etc. The right-to-life segment of the party wants
their people filling those roles. Having a wild card like RFK, rather than a true believer, on health policy on the transition team makes that it more uncertain that they're going to get it.
