Introduction
The ability to do a high-powered, big job depends on talent, education, experience, management skills, and temperament. A candidate with the right attributes has a chance of succeeding. A candidate deficient in those qualities will almost certainly fail — at least by the normal standards of achievement.
Bearing that in mind let’s have a look at Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. First, there is his well-known, fact-denying scientific insanity. Second, and less considered, is his ability to do the job regardless of his strange and dangerous beliefs.
Summing up RFK’s crackpot ideas
To the rational observer, Kennedy is a man who has descended from esteem in the environmental community to mockery by the wider population. He first gained notoriety when he planted his flag in the soil of science denial and anti-vax zealotry. But that proved to be mere table-setting. Under the bright light inquisition of a presidential campaign, the newly independent, ex-Democratic Trump fanboy showed his warts.
His shortcomings are now legendary. He proved to be a ‘dead bear in the trunk’ racist. But it is his fact-free opinions that place him irrevocably in the conspiracy asylum. WaPo has a useful survey. Click HERE for the piece, the paywall should be down. Following is the list in summation.
- Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism
- Kennedy falsely called the coronavirus vaccine the ‘deadliest vaccine ever made’
- Kennedy promotes raw milk, stem cells and other controversial or debunked medical treatments
- Kennedy argues government employees have an interest in ‘mass poisoning’ the American public
- Kennedy has falsely linked antidepressants to mass shootings
- Kennedy incorrectly suggests AIDS may not be caused by HIV
- Kennedy falsely argues children’s gender identity can be impacted by water
- Kennedy has falsely touted ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as effective covid treatments
- Kennedy argued that covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people
- Kennedy claims 5G high-speed wireless network is used to ‘control our behavior’
Sadly, none of this is disqualifying in a Trump cabinet. Worse, Kennedy’s thinking is a resumé builder to truth-averse MAGAs.
Even people who know and like RFK say he’s unqualified
Kennedy’s dangerous opinions aside, let’s ask if the man is fundamentally qualified to do the job. He is nominated to run a federal agency that in 2024 has $2.86 trillion in budgetary resources, (the money it has on hand from all sources) and a 2024 budget allocation of $1.84 trillion. Ranked by revenue, HHS is 2.7 times the size of Walmart
The HHS head is also responsible for 83,202 employees. It is not a small job. It raises the question, Does Kennedy have the background for the job? MAGA will say an enthusiastic ‘yes’; the Democrats a resounding ‘no’. However, the best people to judge are those who know him. And few people know the caliber of a person better than someone who has worked with or for them. The consensus among those folks is that RFK is a nice guy, with some ability. But that ability does not extend to running such a massive operation.
It seems that even in the smaller concerns Kennedy has been involved in, his role was spokesman and lawyer more than executive.
Jeff Hutt, spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again political action committee and Kennedy’s former national field director offered this mixed review.
“He’s an inspirational leader who’s able to communicate. But he’s not a manager.”
An ex-staffer from his presidential campaign — an endeavor that soon lost what initial traction it had, and wound up with $4.5 million in debt — was also dubious about Kennedy’s abilities. Although he also had good things to say.
“I have no idea how he’s going to run a full department, if that’s how he ran the campaign. Running a court case and suing folks is a lot different than running a business. I think he’s a fantastic lawyer. I think he does his due diligence and understands law and truly wants to help all people.”
I think this staffer is too loyal to his ex-boss. He may do his due diligence vis-a-vis the law. But when it comes to science, RFK is making shit up. Also, wanting to help people is not the same as helping people. Those with responsibility for others must be judged on results not intentions.
Another member of Kennedy’s campaign was also positive about him.
“He is a very genuine person. He listens and he’s, you know, he likes to find the best answers available. And as he’s said publicly, you know, if you can show him where he’s wrong on something, he will change his mind.”
Kennedy himself has insisted he is not a mindless zealot — that he will go wherever the facts lead. He’s lying. Healthcare professionals have repeatedly shown him he is wrong. He ignores them.
Another ex-staffer challenged Kennedy’s ability to build a results-achieving campaign team.
“The campaign was a handful of people that were actual professionals, and a bunch of folks that Bobby’s met along the health freedom journey.”
It seems RFK is no more able to pick the best people than his putative new boss.
Dave Murphy, the finance director on Kennedy’s campaign, reinforced the idea that the guy cannot pick quality people
“I technically think that we could have raised an additional $50 to 75 million from what he raised. We should have had exponential growth, and that didn’t happen. And I just think that every campaign and leaders succeed or fail based on the leadership around them, the people that are close to them, and I think there were some people that didn’t understand the vision of what a presidential campaign [and that it] actually needs to bring money in the door to make it credible.”
Hutt (the guy who said Kennedy is “not a good manager”) added this:
“He’s going to need a good deputy. I don’t know who he has in mind, but I would hope that he would go outside of his campaign [staffers] for this position.”
Hutt is naive to think Kennedy will be given a free hand to pick his deputy. That’s not how fascism works. Not that it would make a difference. Based on his track record, RFK would pick some equally unqualified bozo to manage day-to-day HHS operations.
Mind you, as Trump aims to tear down the administrative state, in that context, Kennedy might be an excellent choice.
