Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a famous proponent of disproved public health claims whom Donald Trump has vowed to put in charge of health projects, said on Saturday that Trump would seek to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and prevents cavities by replenishing minerals lost through regular wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low quantities of fluoride to drinking water has long been regarded as one of the greatest public health successes of the past century.
Kennedy made the announcement on the social media platform X, along with a number of other assertions about fluoride’s health impacts.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy stated in her letter. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to make America healthy again,” he said, echoing a term he frequently uses and associates with Kennedy.
It was unclear whether Kennedy discussed Saturday’s post with Trump or his aides. The Trump team did not respond directly, and a Kennedy representative declined to comment when asked.
“While President Trump has received a variety of policy ideas, he is focused on Tuesday’s election,” said Danielle Alvarez, senior adviser to the Trump campaign.
However, Trump’s sudden and unexpected weekend social media post reminded the chaotic policymaking that typified his presidency, when he issued policy statements on Twitter at all hours. It also highlighted many experts’ concerns about Kennedy, who has long espoused erroneous vaccine safety ideas, wielding influence over US public health.
Federal officials backed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay in 1950, and they continued to push it even after fluoride toothpaste brands became available several years later. Though fluoride can be obtained from a variety of sources, studies believe drinking water is the primary source for Americans.
In 2015, officials dropped their recommended fluoride levels in drinking water to address a tooth ailment known as fluorosis, which causes splotches on teeth and is growing more common in children in the United States.
In August, a federal agency decided “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. The National Toxicology Program’s finding was based on investigations involving fluoride levels that were approximately double the permissible limit for drinking water.
A federal judge later used the report when ordering the US Environmental Protection Agency to tighten fluoride regulations in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen emphasized that it is not definite that the amount of fluoride commonly added to water causes lower IQ in children, but he decided that increasing research suggests an excessive risk that it may be. He directed the EPA to take actions to reduce that danger, but did not specify what those measures should be.
In his X post on Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney for the plaintiff in the lawsuit, the environmental activist group Food & Water Watch.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization is suing news companies, including The Associated Press, for breaking antitrust laws by identifying and reporting disinformation, particularly concerning COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. Kennedy is now on leave from the group, but is mentioned as one of its attorneys in the case.
What role Kennedy might play if Trump wins on Tuesday is uncertain. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump urged him to “reorganize” institutions such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and several USDA agencies.
For the time being, however, the former independent presidential candidate has emerged as one of Trump’s primary supporters. Trump constantly highlights his support for Kennedy, a member of a Democratic dynasty who is the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy flew with Trump on Friday, speaking at rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump stated on 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,” said President Donald Trump.
