Trump Report Revives Vaccine Doubts, Splits GOP on Health Agenda
AFP/APP
Washington: A highly anticipated White House report outlining Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda devotes significant space to raising alarm over vaccines, while touching on environmental and nutritional concerns that often contradict broader administration actions.
Kennedy has long warned of the rise in childhood chronic illness, blaming ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, and sedentary lifestyles. Critics, however, argue that he downplays the dangers of infectious disease—while President Donald Trump’s administration generally undercuts Kennedy’s environmental goals by deferring to industry interests.
In a document released Thursday by the “Make America Healthy Again” commission, the administration expands on Kennedy’s concerns. However, it also critiques the U.S. childhood vaccine regime, even reviving the debunked theory linking vaccines to chronic disease.
“Despite the growth of the childhood vaccine schedule, there has been limited scientific inquiry into the links between vaccines and chronic disease, the impacts of vaccine injury, and conflicts of interest in the development of the vaccine schedule,” the report states.
Since taking office, Kennedy has directed the National Institutes of Health to investigate the causes of autism—a condition he has long falsely connected to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The report’s chronic disease references appear to echo that same disproven theory, which has been discredited by numerous studies since a fraudulent 1990s paper first proposed the idea.
The report also criticizes the “over-medicalization” of children, pointing to rising prescriptions of psychiatric drugs and antibiotics. It blames “corporate capture” for skewing scientific research and regulatory outcomes.
“At its core, this report is a call to action for common sense,” Kennedy said at a White House event formally launching the report, which Trump hailed as a “historic milestone.”
Statements at Odds with Actions
Some of Kennedy’s goals have bipartisan support. For example, last month he urged the food industry to phase out synthetic food colorings—although experts criticized the administration for making the recommendation voluntary. While ultra-processed foods are a common concern amid rising U.S. childhood obesity rates, the Trump administration has cut funding for dietary research and public health nutrition.
The commission also highlights “forever chemicals” found in cookware, textiles, and firefighting foam as a serious health threat. However, just last week, the administration relaxed restrictions on those same pollutants in drinking water. Similarly, the report flags microplastics—found in nearly all breast milk samples—for causing hormonal disruption. Yet, the Trump administration recently reversed a proposed ban on single-use plastics in national parks and public lands.
“Even when the report has a good idea—like increasing consumption of whole, unprocessed foods—the remedies suggested are at odds with efforts of Kennedy, Trump, Musk, and Republicans in Congress to decimate the federal workforce and reduce government spending,” said Peter Lurie of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“How is the American diet to improve when Republicans are hell-bent on cutting SNAP benefits (food stamps), slashing school meals, ripping millions of Americans from their health insurance, withdrawing rules to reduce foodborne Salmonella, and laying off food inspectors?”
Internal Republican Divisions
Even before publication, the report sparked division within the Republican Party—especially over the issue of agricultural pesticides. Kennedy’s environmental law career has long targeted chemical pesticides, placing him at odds with pro-agriculture lawmakers and lobbyists.
One key flashpoint was glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller. Ultimately, the report only briefly mentions pesticides. A single subsection refers to glyphosate, listing potential health effects “ranging from reproductive and developmental disorders to cancers, liver inflammation, and metabolic disturbance,” while noting that human studies are limited and more research is needed.
