Former President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed tentative support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to order the removal of fluoride from water supplies during a potential second Trump term, saying that it “sounds OK to me.”
“Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds OK to me,” Trump told NBC News. “You know, it’s possible.”
Trump has said Kennedy would “have a big role in health care” if the former president wins reelection, and that Kennedy wants to address vaccines specifically. Kennedy has been a leading promoter of debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines.
NBC News asked Trump whether banning certain vaccines would be an option.
“Well, I’m going to talk to (Kennedy) and talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” Trump said.
Kennedy, who Trump has suggested would oversee a health portfolio in a potential future administration, wrote in a social media post Saturday that Trump’s administration would “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” which he claimed was tied to numerous medical conditions. The former independent presidential candidate called the element an “industrial waste” – and while fluoride can be a by product of some industry, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is also found naturally in the environment in water and rocks.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease,” Kennedy wrote.
When asked about Kennedy’s comments, Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez told CNN, “While President Trump has received a variety of policy ideas, he is focused on Tuesday’s election.”
State and local governments control most of the water supplies in municipalities across the country. The CDC recommends community water fluoridation as a cost-effective way to improve residents’ oral health. Exposure to fluoride above the public health recommended amount over many years can result in skeletal fluorosis, a condition that causes weaker bones and joint pain. A federal review published in August by the National Institutes of Health’s toxicology program concluded that higher levels of fluoride is linked to lowered IQ in children. The program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.
Kennedy has a long history of sharing baseless conspiracy theories about the impacts of man-made chemicals in the environment. CNN has previously reported that Kennedy, an environmental lawyer before entering politics, has repeatedly suggested that chemicals in the environment could be making children gay or transgender. Similar claims have gained popularity in fringe circles over the years, in part due to high-profile conspiracy theorists like Kennedy and conservative radio host Alex Jones, who famously said chemicals in the water were “turning the friggin’ frogs gay.”
Kennedy and Trump have both teased a broad public health portfolio for the former independent presidential candidate and anti-vaccine advocate in Trump’s administration. Kennedy said in an organizing call last week that Trump told him he’d oversee multiple public health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.
At a campaign rally in New York last week, Trump said he would let Kennedy “go wild on health,” “go wild on the food,” and “go wild on medicines.” At a rally in Michigan on Friday, Trump said Kennedy would “have a big role in health care” and has “some views that I happen to agree with very strongly.”
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
