OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Robert Redfield, a former director of the CDC, has formally endorsed former President Donald Trump and praised his administration’s and policy’s approach to health care. In an editorial for Newsweek, Redfield gave this endorsement and stated that he was confident in Trump’s capacity to “restore American health” and address problems with the country’s healthcare system.
The most surprising turn of events, though, was when Redfield told Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that he thought Kennedy “got everything right” regarding his critiques of the CDC during the COVID-19 outbreak. Kennedy expressed disbelief at the support. Kennedy is well-known for his outspoken views on vaccine policies and his book, which criticizes both Redfield and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Below is a transcript of the exchange, via Grabien:
Kennedy JR.: “I’ll tell you something interesting that happened today, and I actually was going to mention this to Ran, because it was an extraordinary event to me, but Robert Redfield, who I really go after in my Fauci book, kind of a hammer and tongs, wrote an editorial in ‘Newsweek’ magazine today saying that he was endorsing President Trump because President Trump was going to restore American health, and that President Trump, he said, a lot of people might be surprised I say this, but — to say — hear me say this, but he has chosen exactly the only person who can do this, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.. This was breathtaking to me —“
MODERATOR: “Wow!”
Kennedy JR.: “— because this is the guy who’s the head of the CDC that I’ve been criticizing for years, and then this afternoon he came over and had lunch with me, it was the first time I’ve ever met him, and the first thing he said to me is, you got everything right.”
MODERATOR: “Wow, wow.”
Kennedy JR.: “It was —“
MODERATOR: “Wow.”
WATCH:
Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance says that Republicans are now a diverse party since he and former President Donald Trump have enlisted former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii.
“The president just got RFK’s endorsement, he just got Tulsi Gabbard’s endorsement, and on the other side, he’s got Nikki Haley’s endorsement, he’s got Brian Kemp’s endorsement,” he said, the BBC reported. “He is the president of common sense in this country. People are sick of being lied to, and they’re sick of the craziness.”
He said that the former president and RFK Jr. have some “personal disagreements” but said “they’re both big enough to put the country over personal interests.”
He also spoke about the endorsement of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp [R], who was feuding with the former president, and how he assisted in mending fences.
“I think people from across the political spectrum should take something from this — that Brian Kemp is willing to say… we are the big tent party, we stand for common sense and sanity, and we’ve got to kick that insane politician named Kamala Harris out of the White House.”
“I’m not going to convince you that you should change your mind on the president in the same way that I’m not going to convince the president that he should change his mind on you. But you guys agree on 90% of the things. You can put whatever personal differences aside,” he said of his conversation with the Georgia governor.
