RFK Jr.’s Ideas Are Catching on Across the U.S.

Many of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s ideas have faced criticism from public health experts, but some are catching on across the United States.

Newsweek reached out to HHS for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Kennedy’s position as President Donald Trump’s HHS secretary gives him the authority to reshape public health policy in the U.S. Some of his ideas—such as improving Americans’ diets and support for unprocessed foods—have received bipartisan support and are not particularly controversial.

But some of his views around vaccinations, raw milk and whether fluoride should be in the water, however, have faced staunch opposition from public health experts who believe those ideas, if implemented as formal policy, could pose risks to Americans’ health.

What To Know

States and communities across the country are implementing some of these policies, particularly those ideas aimed at promoting healthier diets and removing fluoride from drinking water.

Fluoridated Water

Kennedy has been an opponent of fluoride in drinking water, describing it in a November post to X, formerly Twitter, as “industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”

Dr. Scott Tomar, professor and associate dean for prevention and public sciences at University of Illinois Chicago’s College of Dentistry, told Newsweek evidence of these claims typically come from low-quality studies and that the level of fluoride in U.S. water systems wouldn’t carry those risks. He said that fluoride has proved successful in preventing tooth decay and that its removal would have consequences for Americans, particularly children, down the line.

However, many communities are moving to remove fluoride from their water. Portland, Oregon, for example, is a Democratic city with more than 600,000 residents that does not fluoridate its water.

Only 26 percent of Oregon residents have access to fluoridated water, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only New Jersey, another Democratic-leaning state, ranks lower with 16 percent.

Republican-led Utah last month became the first state to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water.

Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo has recommended against water fluoridation, citing “neuropsychiatric risk.”

An Ipsos poll from January found that while a plurality of Americans support fluoride in drinking water, a sizable minority oppose it, and many more remain unsure about it.

Thirty-four percent said they believe it is healthy or beneficial, while only 15 percent outright opposed it. Nine percent of respondents said it has no real impact, while 41 percent weren’t sure. It surveyed 1,016 Americans from January 2 to 5.

Tomar said the rise in skepticism comes from the COVID-19 pandemic, which fueled greater skepticism of science as a whole. The spread of misinformation about fluoride also plays a role.

If communities move to remove fluoride from their water, there will be greater risk of tooth decay in children, Tomar said. This could set up children for a lifetime of tooth problems that would include infections, difficulty speaking and other social and psychological impacts, he added.

While Tomar said Kennedy has good ideas in some areas, he finds it puzzling he would focus on removing fluoride from drinking water.

“Secretary Kennedy’s, some of his goals, I would support and I think that we should focus on things like improving Americans’ diets and reducing the nation’s level of overweight and obesity. I would think those are totally supportable goals,” he said. “It’s just a mystery to me as to why he would go after an effective public health measure.”

An AP-NORC poll, which surveyed 1,147 adults from January 9 to 13, showed that 26 percent of Americans support removing fluoride from drinking water, 40 percent oppose it by 33 percent aren’t sure how they feel about it.

Prohibiting SNAP Benefits For Junk Food

Kennedy is also seeing states align with him on prohibiting SNAP payments to be used on junk food.

Last month, West Virginia became the first state to implement the Kennedy-backed policy after Governor Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, submitted a waiver to block junk food purchases using the benefit.

Kennedy responded to the announcement by encouraging other governors to do the same.

“If there’s one thing we can agree on, it should be eliminating taxpayer-funded soda subsidies for lower income kids,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to inviting every Governor who submits a waiver to come celebrate with me at the White House this fall.”

So far, three other states—Arkansas, Idaho and Indiana—have moved to do so. All three have Republican governors.

Other state Legislatures, including some with Democratic governors, are considering bans on SNAP being used for soda or junk food as well.

The AP-NORC poll found broader support for Kennedy’s efforts to promote the reformulation of processed foods to remove ingredients like added sugars or dyes. Sixty-six percent supported this, with only 12 percent opposed. An additional 21 percent said they weren’t sure.

What People Are Saying

Dr. Ben Chrisinger, a professor of community health at Tufts University, told Newsweek in March that while “most Americans could stand to eat healthier,” he doesn’t see SNAP restrictions as a pathway to achieve that goal.

“SNAP is effectively a subsidy for all kinds of foods, and we have proven methods of incentivizing healthy choices without restriction. Research suggests that healthier foods are often more expensive, and in poorer neighborhoods, harder to find.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told Newsweek: “Under President Trump’s executive order to establish the MAHA Commission, Secretary Kennedy is determined to find the root causes of the chronic disease epidemic, including the toxins in our environment and food supply.”

What Happens Next

Kennedy has pushed for widespread changes to the federal approach to public health and has focused his immediate efforts on “preventing” autism, sparking pushback from critics.

Whether other states will follow through on matters like fluoride and SNAP benefits is yet to be seen.