It’s not every day you hear someone from the public health world, let alone a former CDC Director, endorse Robert Kennedy Jr. for his stance on tackling chronic disease. Yet, Dr. Robert Redfield, who served as the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2018 to 2021, has thrown his support behind an unexpected partnership between former President Donald Trump and Kennedy, signaling a potential new chapter in America’s fight against chronic illness.
Redfield reflects on the Trump Administration’s efforts in 2019 to address chronic disease by funding earlier interventions. Now, five years later, he sees this issue where it belongs—front and center in the presidential debate. According to Redfield, Trump’s selection of Kennedy to lead this charge is a bold but necessary move, especially as more than 75 percent of the country’s annual $4 trillion healthcare costs are attributed to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
And where does it start? With our children. As Redfield highlights, over 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition. The numbers are stark, particularly when it comes to childhood obesity, which has skyrocketed from 4 percent in the 1960s to nearly 20 percent in 2024. The main culprit? The modern American diet, which is loaded with highly processed, unhealthy foods.
But the problem goes beyond just food. Redfield points to pesticides, which have been linked to neurodevelopmental issues in children, such as ADHD. If the next president makes it a priority for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to dig into the environmental factors contributing to this rise in chronic disease, he argues, we could finally identify what’s damaging our children’s health.
However, finding the causes won’t be enough. Redfield warns that without reestablishing public trust in federal health agencies, meaningful change will be difficult. He doesn’t hold back in critiquing the cozy relationships between government regulators and the industries they’re supposed to oversee. Whether it’s the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) relying on pharmaceutical company funding, NIH scientists collecting royalties from the drugs they license, or the CDC being influenced by special interest groups, Redfield argues that agency capture has undermined the public good.
Redfield isn’t just pointing fingers at health agencies. He argues that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), originally created to protect small farmers and ensure a healthy food supply, has become another victim of corporate interests. If the U.S. is serious about reducing chronic disease, it must start by reforming the agricultural system to prioritize nutritious food over corporate profits.
NEW: Former CDC Director Robert Redfield endorses Donald Trump, admits to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. he “got everything right.”
RFK Jr. explained how he was appalled to find out that Redfield, who he was extremely critical of, was endorsing Trump.
“Robert Redfield, who I really go… pic.twitter.com/sBNJ0fDh7E
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 25, 2024
The Trump-Kennedy partnership, according to Redfield, is a necessary one. Trump has promised to establish a panel of top experts, working alongside Kennedy, to investigate the root causes of chronic health issues in America. Redfield believes Kennedy is the right person to lead this effort, praising his dedication and optimism. Kennedy has pledged that, within two years, the burden of chronic disease could be lifted significantly—if given the proper tools and support.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Chronic diseases not only bankrupt our healthcare system, but they also cause untold suffering for millions of American families. Redfield believes that a Kennedy-led commission on childhood chronic disease, empowered by Trump, could change the tide. The key, as Redfield puts it, is to “see the possible and lead our nation to act.”
As someone who has seen firsthand the failures of the public health system to address chronic disease adequately, Redfield’s message is clear: the time for action is now, and this partnership could finally make America healthy again.