Current:Home > MyBenjamin Ashford|RFK Jr. says Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water. ‘It’s possible,’ Trump says -FinTechWorld
Benjamin Ashford|RFK Jr. says Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water. ‘It’s possible,’ Trump says
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-11 04:52:41
Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election.
PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,Benjamin Ashford a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put in charge of health initiatives, said Saturday that Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office if elected president.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Kennedy made the declaration Saturday on the social media platform X alongside a variety of claims about the heath effects of fluoride.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to Make America Healthy Again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.
Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet, “but it sounds OK to me. You know it’s possible.”
The former president declined to say whether he would seek a Cabinet role for Kennedy, a job that would require Senate confirmation, but added, “He’s going to have a big role in the administration.”
Asked whether banning certain vaccines would be on the table, Trump said he would talk to Kennedy and others about that. Trump described Kennedy as “a very talented guy and has strong views.”
The sudden and unexpected weekend social media post evoked the chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s White House tenure, when he would issue policy declarations on Twitter at virtually all hours. It also underscored the concerns many experts have about Kennedy, who has long promoted debunked theories about vaccine safety, having influence over U.S. public health.
In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.
Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.
In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.
A federal judge later cited that study in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.
In his X post Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiff in that lawsuit, the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Elections, explained: We answer your election questions.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization has a lawsuit pending against news organizations including The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy is on leave from the group but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
What role Kennedy might hold if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.
But for now, the former independent presidential candidate has become one of Trump’s top surrogates. Trump frequently mentions having the support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy traveled with Trump Friday and spoke at his rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy: “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want” except oil policy.
“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants kids, he wants everything,” Trump added.
veryGood! (747)
Related
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Madonna Pens Sweet Tribute to Her Kids After Hospitalization
- We promise this week's NPR news quiz isn't ALL about 'Barbie'
- Madonna Pens Sweet Tribute to Her Kids After Hospitalization
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Angels outfielder Taylor Ward placed on IL with facial fractures after being hit in head
- More than 80 private, parochial schools apply to participate in new voucher program
- Cyber breaches cost investors money. How SEC's new rules for companies could benefit all.
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Biden administration proposes new fuel economy standards, with higher bar for trucks
Ranking
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles
- Alicia Navarro updates: Police question man after teen missing for years located
- The CDC sees signs of a late summer COVID wave
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioning
- LeBron James Shares Video of Son Bronny James Playing Piano Days After Cardiac Arrest
- Reports: Vikings, pass rusher Danielle Hunter agree to 1-year deal worth up to $20 million
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Drake scores Tupac's custom crown ring for $1M at auction: 'Slice of hip-hop history'
Chew, spit, repeat: Why baseball players from Little League to MLB love sunflower seeds
Plagued by Floods and Kept in the Dark, a Black Alabama Community Turns to a Hometown Hero for Help
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Taco Bell adds new taco twist: The Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, which hits the menu Aug. 3
Rangers acquire Scherzer from Mets in blockbuster move by surprise AL West leaders
New Report Card Shows Where Ohio Needs to Catch up in Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions