Democrat Governor of Colorado Jared Polis praised President-elect Donald Trump for nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
In a lengthy post on social media Thursday, Polis praised Kennedy for helping Colorado “defeat vaccine mandates” in 2019, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA,” wrote Polis.
“I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans (which I think are terrible, just like mandates), but what I’m most optimistic about is taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health,” said Polis.
The president-elect announced his nomination of RFK Jr. for HHS secretary on Thursday afternoon. The announcement ignited a firestorm of criticism and praise.
In his announcement, Trump promised that, with Kennedy leading the HHS, the agency would be restored as the “Gold Standard Scientific Research.”
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” wrote Trump. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research and beacons of Transparency to end the Chronic Disease epidemic and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”
RFK Jr. launched his presidential campaign as a Democrat, changed to an Independent, and eventually endorsed Trump.
Kennedy also spoke during the president-elect’s historic rally at Madison Square Garden last month, where he discussed the current state of the Democratic Party.
“The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that neocons wrote. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about the domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans. It’s a party that is dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,” said Kennedy.
“It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney.”
RFK Jr. has been considered for a Cabinet position previously
This isn’t the first time RFK Jr. was considered for a cabinet position in the president’s administration. In 2008, then President-elect Barack Obama reportedly strongly considered naming Kennedy to head the Environmental Protection Agency reported Politico at the time.
Gov. Polis has been critical of a Donald Trump presidency. Recently, he joined forces with Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker to co-chair a new coalition called Governors Safeguarding Democracy.
The website cites “cyber threats” and “fast-moving disinformation campaigns” as examples of “threats to our democracy.”
“Donald Trump is going to bring people into his administration who are absolute loyalists to his cult of personality and not necessarily to the law,” said Pritzker, according to the New York Times. “Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so, I think that the threat remains great.”
During a MSNBC “Morning Joe” appearance, Pritzker said about Trump, “We’re gonna work with him and his administrations however we can for our state.”
Polis echoed his sentiments, writing on X that he looks forward to “partnering with him to truly make America healthy again.”
“He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to make America healthy again truly,” added Polis.