Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. president Donald Trump attend an election event hosted by conservative group Turning Point USA on October 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia, USA.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump said Sunday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposal to remove fluoride from the U.S. water system “sounds OK” to him, but that it is not the advice of public health agencies. This is the opposite position.
“I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I think it’s OK. You know it’s possible,” Trump said. interview When asked about President Kennedy’s proposal, he spoke to NBC News’ Dasha Burns.
kennedy Posted X Saturday, “On January 20th, President Trump will recommend that all water systems in the United States remove fluoride from public water.”
Trump also said Kennedy would play a big role. Public health policy creation No matter what Trump administration.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride is naturally present in nearly all water sources, and some are added to public water to prevent tooth decay.
“The safety and benefits of fluoride are well-documented and have been comprehensively reviewed by several scientific and public health organizations.” post On the CDC website.
American Dental Association say Seventy years of research supports the safety and effectiveness of adding fluoride to water, known as community water fluoridation.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the fluoride comment.
Kennedy is also a well-known vaccine skeptic who has helped spread false conspiracy theories about public health. NBC News asked if Trump was president and Kennedy was in the administration, “a ban on certain vaccines might be on the table,” and Trump left the door open.
“I’ll talk to him, I’ll talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy with strong views,” Trump said.
The science on fluoride and water fluoridation is clear. But Trump’s doubts and the questions he may pose to voters about what public health will look like in the White House highlight a serious challenge for the Trump campaign in its final days of staying on message. are.
Last weekend, insult comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash,” a comment the Trump campaign distanced itself from.
These comments dominated the news cycle for several days, with President Joe Biden appearing to call Trump supporters “trash” and later saying that wasn’t what he meant.
Republicans argue that voters are not paying attention to all the controversial statements made by President Trump and his allies this week, but rather to the larger issues in the race.
“Voters in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina are all talking about crime and unemployment,” Sen. Tim Scott (RS.C.) told CNN’s “General I mentioned it in the “Kyosho”.
“They’re talking about the border. They’re talking about 70,000 Americans dying from fentanyl. They’re not talking about fluoride.”
