Today is a dark day for the US, the rest of society, and our planet.
The above header was actually the working header for a piece I started writing last week, but couldn't bring myself to finish. Even now, I know many of us are grieving, reeling, horrified, but maybe not shocked.
I've observed the lucrative podcast ecosystem erode science literacy, critical thinking, and acceptance of factual information. I've seen the enormous profit motives that come with having a megaphone to promote disinformation, health conspiracies, and outright lies. I've watched as people who pretend to be evidence-based concede ground to those that push dangerous falsehoods - and the mental gymnastics that come with it.
I've seen millionaires and billionaires claim they voted for Trump because they "care" about the cost of groceries - a dog whistle to rally people who are fiscally conservative - while omitting that Trump policies will benefit the wealthy. Those people are the same that control information channels: the podcasts, the social media platforms, legacy media, even academic institutes with financial ties to people like Peter Thiel. So when scientists and healthcare professionals who try to combat objective falsehoods say that the media is working against it - we really mean it.
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The upcoming administration is diametrically opposed with the pursuit of science and public health. Indeed, in the last few weeks, Donald Trump has elevated RFK Jr., one of the most objectively dangerous people to science and health. Today, November 14, 2024, he nominated him for the next Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary.
And if he is actually installed in that role, it will be catastrophic.
Let me be clear: RFK Jr. has spent 40 years eroding science, public health, and propagating harmful conspiracies.
RFK Jr. has made millions upon millions of dollars propagating - and in most instances, fabricating - much of the disinformation that is now amplified up by other anti-science activist groups and influencers.
That includes the $5.6 trillion dollar wellness industry that has boomed since the passage of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (more here).
Let's do a quick lightning round about the things he has tangibly done and how they actually harm - not improve - human health.
I hope this will underscore how his claims of "Make America Healthy Again" are nothing but a rebrand of his long legacy of propagating dangerous lies for his own personal benefit. If he is given any sort of governmental authority, these lies will pervade even more than they already have.
RFK Jr started his anti-science career as a "environmental lawyer" in the 1980s.
After this, his foray into anti-chemical rhetoric expanded, including into food, farming, and vaccines.
RFK Jr. fabricated and profited off anti-agricultural disinformation.
Did you know that RFK Jr. was actually the orchestrator behind many of the lawsuits alleging links between glyphosate and cancer?
That's right. He was a primary driver into the widespread adoption of this belief, when there is actually no causal evidence to support any relationship between glyphosate and negative health outcomes, even with over 40 years of data?
Just to be clear: glyphosate is one of the safest herbicides that are used in order to ensure farmers can grow foods to feed the planet. Over 20 safety and expert scientific agencies globally have come to the same conclusion. (read more here, here, here, and here). In fact, glyphosate has replaced more harmful herbicides, reducing the risk to farmers and the environment.
Ironically, residential homeowners use glyphosate to indiscriminately kill weeds at far higher concentrations than farmers use to selectively control weeds. But that point wouldn't play well with his audience.
But lawsuits are lucrative. RFK Jr. made millions of dollars in civil lawsuits creating emotional arguments that persuade people without evidence (no, jury trials are not scientific data). And RFK Jr. leveraged the fear about glyphosate into broader fear about GMOs.
RFK Jr. has undermined the implementation and adoption of GMO crops that can improve health outcomes.
Over the last 20 years, GE crops have reduced pesticide use by 8.6%, decreased the environmental impact of pesticides by 17.3%, & increased crop yields by 22%. If you actually were concerned about pesticide use, wouldn't you be all for this?
His anti-biotech rhetoric has blocked the implementation of life-saving crops like Golden Rice. Golden Rice was approved in the Philippines in 2021 and could save lives of children with vitamin A deficiency. But disinformation campaigns that have grown legs from his rhetoric have caused a judge to block this approval this year. This WILL cause tangible harms.
RFK Jr. propagates lies about conventional pesticides and promotes organic farming.
He advocates for blanket bans of chemicals he deems harmful without evidence while promoting organic farming. He demonizes synthetic pesticides, yet omits the fact organic farming methods that he promotes still uses plenty of pesticides, many of which are more ecologically damaging and harmful at lower exposures.
RFK Jr fails to understand that organic farming is more energy intensive, uses more land for the same yield, and, in a world where we exceed 8 billion people, is not a sustainable path to feed the planet.
His disinformation and activities undermine science-based regulations and hinders development and implementation of modern science tools that could improve sustainability and stability of our food supply.
He does not care about improving the health and safety of our foods. That has been proven by decades of his actions.
He leveraged his anti-science beliefs into the founding of Children's Health Defense.
Because, why not? He is making millions every year filing frivolous lawsuits against other corporations, why not expand the reach and exploit people's concern for their health and well-being?
Children's Health Defense (CHD) spreads dangerous falsehoods that endanger children's health.
However, just like his current political tactics, he undermines actual scientific experts and regulatory agencies through fear-laden and emotionally charged articles, filled with clickbait and unfounded statements.
If you go to the CHD website, it is FILLED with the same fear-laden claims I am debunking all the time. Where do you think many of the people on social media get this misinformation from in the first place? Yep, Children's Health Defense.
In 2021 alone, CHD brought in $16 million by exploiting the pandemic to spread COVID-19 disinformation. Exploiting a pandemic that caused millions upon millions of deaths.
And yes, anti-vaccine disinformation from RFK Jr. and CHD is a primary culprit for declining vaccination rates and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illness.
RFK Jr. is one of the biggest sources of anti-vaccine disinformation.
RFK Jr. accelerated the adoption of the myth that vaccines are linked to autism, particularly among his celebrity connections here in the US, starting as far back as 2000. He also claimed that thimerosal, an antimicrobial, was to blame for autism.
RFK Jr. exploited anti-vaccine and anti-biotech messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. He made million spreading COVID-19 disinformation and was banned from social media due to the dangers of his lies. CHD brought in nearly $16 million in 2021 alone by exploiting the pandemic to spread COVID-19 disinformation.
RFK Jr is one of the Disinformation Dozen and a Pandemic Profiteer, individuals who, globally, who exploit anti-vaccine disinformation and make the most money off it.
RFK Jr. spread anti-vaccine lies that contributed to a 2019 measles outbreak that sickened thousands and killed 82 - mostly children.
Instead of focusing on that (and the healthcare professionals who made this error did experience consequences), RFK Jr. seized upon this tragedy to continue undermining vaccinations. He traveled to Samoa to meet other anti-vaccine activists, discourage vaccination among worried parents, and spread disinformation.
Between 2017 and 2018, MMR vaccine rates in Samoa dropped from 74% to 31%.
Measles virus is one of the most contagious virus, and in order to control spread, we need 95% of the population immune through vaccination (read more below). When that coverage drops, a single imported case can ignite an outbreak.
That's exactly what happened. An outbreak of measles started in October 2019 in Samoa and quickly spread due to the low herd immunity in the population. RFK wrote to the Samoan Prime Minister urging him to halt vaccine mandates and undermine the importance of MMR vaccines.
RFK Jr. makes false claims about critical public health interventions like fluoridation for dental health.
But in brief: 75+ years of data show fluoride (a natural mineral) prevents tooth decay. Community water is fluoridated at 0.7 milligrams (mg) per LITER (1,000,000 mg water). Conservatively, adverse skeletal effects due to excess fluoride exposure might occur above 4 mg per kg body weight per day.
Do a little math: adults would need to ingest 250 mg F per day, and kids would need to ingest between 40-100 mg F per day (depending on body weight). That means a 22 lb baby would need to drink 57 LITERS of water per day at 0.7 ppm to reach that conservative threshold.
Water itself would be toxic to that same baby after they drink 3.2 CUPS of it in one sitting. Unfortunately, this nuance is lost when people like RFK Jr. spread lies.
When policies are informed by this disinformation, it causes harm. In townships that have removed fluoride in water, they report 25-50% increases in dental caries rates. Why do they remove fluoride? Public outcry and falsehoods. Ironically, many people claim Europe doesn't fluoridate their water. But many countries in Europe do. And those that don't actually have fluoridated salt. Because actual scientific experts understand the importance of public health measures.
RFK Jr. consistently spreads health disinformation and makes millions off it.
The FDA isn't waging war on public health, RFK, Jr. is.
He recently tweeted a very ominous threat to scientists that work in government. Of course, it is filled with the wellness industry jargon to rally the biohacking bros.
Ironically, he includes 2 FDA-approved medications: ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine - which the FDA is suppressing? Ivermectin is an approved treatment for certain parasitic infections like Strongyloides, for head lice, mites, and a few other conditions. It just doesn't do anything for COVID-19.
Similarly, hydroxychloroquine is FDA-approved for the treatment of malaria and for rheumatic disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.
No legitimate scientific or health professional is suppressing exercise, or sunshine with appropriate protection (read here for misinformation about UV radiation).
The other things he includes? Raw milk, peptides, chelating compounds, vitamins? This plays to the lucrative wellness industry. If things have evidence to support use, they can submit clinical trial data for FDA approval! Did you know that? The thing is, the vast majority of dietary supplements don't have evidence - and it's not for lack of trying. They're not regulated by the FDA either - because politicians removed that oversight from them in 1994. FDA can't suppress what they have no authority over.
RFK Jr. is doing what he always has done: propagate medical conspiracism to erode trust in actual facts and evidence-based medicine, while profiting from disinformation, elevating "colleagues" who sell unproven and harmful wellness products. All the while he causes immense harm to our environment, food stability, our health, and society.
And if the next Trump Administration continues on the path of gutting scientific and regulatory agencies, our food will become less safe, and certainly not healthier.
RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary is putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
That means RFK Jr. will be in charge of:
Use your imagination here, but if it isn't clear, his actions in this role would be catastrophic in the near- and long-term. Not just for US science and health, but globally. Everything he has done in the last 40 years is antithetical to all that HHS stands for.
I cannot overstate this: RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary is a clear and present danger.
What can you do? The Senate must confirm this nomination, so you must do everything in your power to prevent that from happening.
We cannot erase the outcome of this election, but we must continue to fight like hell for fact, for science, and for health.
RFK Jr. is not a friend to the environment, he does not care about your health or the health of your family, and he is not someone to be trusted.
He is one of the greatest dangers to public health and science and everyone must take action to ensure he can't do more damage.
We all must join in the fight for science.
Thank you for supporting evidence-based science communication. With outbreaks of preventable diseases, refusal of evidence-based medical interventions, propagation of pseudoscience by prominent public "personalities", it's needed now more than ever.
Dr. Andrea Love, a microbiologist and immunologist, provides the facts (and the data!) on science and health topics. Follow Andrea on X @dr_andrealove