On May 14, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, appeared before the House Committee on Appropriations and made a slew of disconcerting statements.
“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” Kennedy said.
This comment, among others, underscored Kennedy’s unfitness to serve. The purpose of the HHS secretary’s position is to direct the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for protecting and promoting the health and well-being of all Americans. They are also tasked with advising the president on health care policy issues and public health measures. Given the vital work of the HHS secretary, RFK Jr.’s statements were both concerning and palpably ironic. However, in this era of anti-intellectualism, it barely raises concern.
Recently, American politics has shifted away from valuing expertise. Prior experience and qualifications are not necessary to gain influence anymore, as politicians no longer need to demonstrate competence to secure a seat at the table. Largely driven by President Donald Trump’s prioritization of loyalty over qualification, anti-intellectualism has increased in American politics. This rise represents a dangerous shift away from evidence-based governance, posing a threat to the health and safety of those the government is tasked with protecting.
Nowhere is the rise of loyalism and anti-intellectualism more patently dangerous than the appointment of RFK Jr. as Secretary of HHS. As the leader of all health-related matters in the nation, RFK Jr. has spent decades undermining the very scientific organizations he now oversees. He has championed medical conspiracies, like promoting thoroughly debunked theories linking vaccines to autism and comparing vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany.
And now, he is using his powerful platform to legitimize misinformation that was once confined to conspiracy theories, leaving many unsure of whom to trust for accurate medical information. Most recently, he fired all of the CDC’s vaccine experts and appointed either conspiracy theorists or people with no experience to the committee. These are supposed to be our nation’s leading scientists and experts on vaccines, and now we have anti-vaccine propagandists in place of actual experts. This could not come at a worse time.
Recently, a growing measles outbreak has spread across multiple states, with preventable deaths already reported. This is especially alarming, given that measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000, following decades of successful vaccination efforts. Its reemergence marks a disturbing reversal in public health progress, one not driven by science but by ideology and increasing polarization. In a time of rapidly evolving global health threats, leadership that undermines science not only confuses the public but also costs lives. When truth becomes partisan, public safety becomes collateral damage.
A further erosion of trust occurred with the release of the “Make America Healthy Again” report on May 22, which was riddled with fake citations and other errors in the bibliography, which was riddled with errors: fake citations, broken links, incorrect issue numbers and missing or incorrect authors. This further undermines his credibility and that of all the organizations he oversees, as it reveals a lack of professional standards and scientific rigor.
While some may argue that RFK Jr.’s appointment is not unprecedented because he isn’t the first non-physician to lead the HHS, he is less suited for the role than most previous HHS secretaries. Although the majority of HHS secretaries in recent decades have come from a wide range of legal or political backgrounds, one distinction is crucial — they, unlike RFK Jr., did not lack respect for science or the institutions they led. For example, Xavier Becerra, a former appointee to the HHS under former President Joe Biden, brought decades of experience in health policy and administration, despite not holding a medical degree. Even Alex Azar, a pharmaceutical executive during Trump’s first term, had significant experience in healthcare regulation. RFK Jr.’s appointment represents a break not just from qualifications, but from the very mission and goal of the agency.
The rise of anti-intellectualism poses a serious threat to American democracy by eroding public trust in essential health-focused institutions, such as the CDC and NIH. Facts are increasingly viewed as ideological as scientists, experts and career professionals are dismissed, with entire programs becoming eliminated. The politicization of expertise then weakens the government’s ability to prevent and respond to crises, from pandemics to environmental disasters.
If the U.S. wants to preserve a functional and safe democracy, it is vital to recenter expertise, truth and accountability in public decision-making. Unqualified appointees must be removed from their positions, as their lack of experience or hostility to science and truth poses a risk to lives and national stability.
Anti-intellectualism is no longer in the background of American politics; it is now front and center. Trump’s prioritization of loyalty over competence and his distaste for science and intellectualism threaten the health and safety of us all.
Nina Attisha is an Opinion Columnist who writes about politics in her biweekly column, “Checks and Imbalances.” She can be reached at ninanina@umich.edu.
