The phone call from Trump came on a Sunday in July:
I would have loved it if you did something. And I think it would be so great for you, and so big for you. And we're going to win.
Robert F Kennedy junior, whose independent presidential campaign was in full swing after being rejected in the Democratic primary, responded on the spot:
Yeah.
As the son of the Minister of Justice and Senator Robert F Kennedy and nephew of former President John F Kennedy, Kennedy junior is a well-known name in the USA. His childhood was overshadowed by the murder of his uncle in 1963 and his father in 1968. In his teens, "RFK" – a nickname he inherited from his father – struggled with drug problems and was expelled from two boarding schools.
Environmental activism and conspiracy theories
After graduating from Harvard and the University of Virginia, Kennedy began working as a prosecutor on Manhattan in the early 1980s. Over the years, he became increasingly engaged in environmental issues, making a name for himself by suing authorities and companies that polluted the Hudson River.
In the mid-2000s, Kennedy began spreading conspiracy theories about vaccines, including in a notable article in Rolling Stone, where he drew connections to autism. Since then, he has become known as one of the world's most prominent vaccine skeptics. Kennedy himself rejects this description, but as recently as July this year, he said in an interview that "there is no vaccine that is safe and effective", and repeated his theory about the link between vaccines and autism.
Such a connection has been dismissed in several scientific studies in both the USA and other countries, writes the AP news agency.
Kennedy has also created controversy by demanding that fluoride should no longer be added to drinking water, something that is done in some countries (but not Sweden) to improve dental health.
Fight against unhealthy food
At the same time, Kennedy has received praise for his fight against unhealthy food in the USA, which he believes is a contributing factor to many Americans being overweight. He is critical of pesticides, genetically modified crops, and ultra-processed foods – a message that has gained a large following on social media, where both health profiles and "momfluencers" have jumped on board.
On Thursday, Trump nominated Kennedy as Minister of Health with responsibility for pharmaceutical and vaccine oversight as well as food safety. To take office, he requires Senate approval. The mere nomination has, however, stirred up strong emotions in public health circles.
I don't want children or adults to be forced to suffer or die just to remind us that vaccines work, says Mandy Cohen, head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in an AP interview.
