Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – master flip-flopper – has been appointed HHS and Food Czar in the new Trump administration. But his record, and recent history of ‘convenient’ policy changes, are raising a lot of eyebrows…
Can you imagine any less-suitable candidate for America’s new Health & Food Czar? RFK Jr. was an avowed Trump hater and ran against the once-and-future president in the GOP primaries.
But as soon as Trump was declared winner of the recent election, RFK was back in there scrumming on the new Prez like a hundred other sycophants, looking for a powerful, cushy cabinet job. And, to the surprise of some, Trump gave it to him.
A juggling act…
I suspect Trump sought to kill two birds with one stone, giving RFK Jr. not one but two major respons-ibilities. First, he wanted to give his former opponent enough ego fuel to satisfy Jr.’s need for power, for a while, at least. I also think Trump wanted to keep RFK too busy to engage in any machinations aimed at ultimately seizing more power. Given an opening, RFK might just challenge Trump’s suprem-acy again.
But both of the joint posts of Food & Health are also tricky and delicate enough on their own that even the most nimble and skillful leader would have trouble juggling both without dropping a ball or two, sooner or later.
Flip-flopping furiously
Even before his new liege lord is sworn in, RFK has not just hinted at but broadcast his intention to do whatever Trump tells him. Even if it means flip-flopping on what observers could have been for-given for thinking were his strongly held views on certain issues.
Witness the recent ‘lunch bunch’ photo that ran all over the world, showing a grinning group includ-ing Trumps Sr. and Jr., Elon Musk, RFK Jr. and even house speaker Mike Johnson. The first 4 names are preparing to tuck into a McDonald’s feast especially brought aboard Airforce One for inflight dining heading to NYC, recently.
What’s worse, the Prez, Don Jr. and Musk are clearly doubling down, each with 2 burgers on their plates. But RFK Jr. makes up for his single burger by adding a Coke. A regular one – not even Diet.
When not chowing down…
RFK Jr. has been making himself conspicuous by declaring a new post-election campaign to ‘Make American Healthy Again’. He says he’s ready to get tough with Big Food on prices. And Big Food-service, on Junk Food and its attendant health-related issues.
RFK Jr. has always been an anti-vaxer and anti-flouride. But now, he seems prepared to parrot what-ever Trump says about food and health policy. Given the opportunity, he and his master will gut the US health and public safety system.
Most recently…
Trump’s new Health and Human Services & Food Czar earlier this past week managed to flip-flop 180 degrees on Fast Food within 48 hours.
On Tuesday, he appeared on a high-profile podcast, the Joe Polish Show, and slammed Trump’s well-known preferences for KFC and various McFoods:
“The stuff that [Trump] eats is really, like, bad,” RFK Jr. said. “Campaign food is always bad, but the food that goes onto [Air Force One] is, like, just poison… […] You don’t have the choice. You’re either given KFC or Big Macs.” Both of which Kennedy described as, “kind of inedible.”
Then, he was named HHS and Food Czar. And his opinion changed – faster than a UFO making a 180-degree turn at 20,000 miles an hour. And next thing you know, he was defending Fast Food as a part of ‘American Culture’.
My take
RFK Jr is a perfect example of the kind of acolyte Trump has been saying he wants on his team. Mili-tary leaders as loyal to him, personally, as Hitler’s generals. And yes-men like Kennedy who might best be described in the words which noted 1960’s satirist Tom Lehrer used to nail former Nazi rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun: “A man whose allegiance / is ruled by expedience…”
‘Tumultuous’, ‘chaotic’ and even ‘catastrophic’ are the kind of words folks are throwing around about the next 4 years, under Trump. And I don’t think those folks are too far wrong…
~ Maggie J.