Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump, suggesting that Trump’s health policy could include revisiting standards for chemicals and pesticides, part of an agenda Kennedy has called “Make America Healthy Again.” However, former and current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staffers told NBC News that during the Trump administration, the EPA was keen to approve new chemicals and remove regulations on existing ones despite potential harms. There were reports of EPA scientists being retaliated against for expressing differing scientific opinions.
Kennedy’s call for greater oversight conflicted with the Trump administration’s actions, which aimed to limit regulatory action on toxic chemicals. Under Trump, the EPA withdrew a proposed ban on methylene chloride, linked to several deaths. Despite some of Kennedy’s statements being backed by scientific research, he has also repeated unsubstantiated ideas, such as suggesting vaccines contain harmful chemicals.
EPA staffers were pressured to approve potentially hazardous chemicals under Trump, leading to concerns about scientific integrity. A culture of penalizing dissenting opinions worsened during Trump’s presidency. Biden’s administration has worked to restore scientific integrity at the EPA, addressing issues such as regulatory capture and an increased workload due to a 2016 law.
Kennedy’s role in a potential Trump administration remains unclear, but his ties to Trump may not lead to significant changes in EPA policies. Critics doubt a second Trump administration would behave differently than the first. Ultimately, Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump may not align with his advocacy for stricter regulations on toxic chemicals given the EPA’s actions under Trump.
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