The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention located in Atlanta

On the eve of winning reelection, Trump promised supporters he would let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild on health, medicine, and food." Nearly a year later, Kennedy, as Secretary of Health and Human Services, is continuously testing the boundaries of that statement.

During Congressional hearings this week, Kennedy faced bipartisan questioning over firing the CDC director, restricting COVID-19 vaccinations, and potentially adjusting routine childhood immunization policies. Trump subsequently expressed appreciation for Kennedy being "different" and called his intentions "good," continuing to offer his support.

The White House reaffirmed "complete confidence" in Kennedy's push for the president's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda. However, some senior Republicans have expressed concerns that the administration's full embrace of vaccine skepticism could trigger public backlash. When asked whether they still support Kennedy, two Republican Senate leaders only emphasized they would follow the president's position.

Vaccines have become a political flashpoint in America post-pandemic. Kennedy claims to support vaccines overall but criticizes the CDC's performance during the COVID pandemic and believes the agency has systemic problems. His supporters emphasize this is a necessary process to rebuild public trust. Vice President Vance even defended Kennedy on social media, attacking critics for "serving pharmaceutical interests."

However, multiple polls show American voters from both parties maintain high consensus on most routine vaccine issues, supporting requirements that children must complete vaccinations to attend school. Republican Senator Barrasso directly stated during hearings that he was "deeply concerned" about Kennedy's policy shift.

Trump himself has complex attitudes toward vaccines. On one hand, he emphasizes that "certain vaccines are extremely important" and criticized Florida's removal of school vaccine requirements as a "tough position." On the other hand, he agrees with Kennedy's reduction of COVID booster shot coverage and questions vaccine efficacy.

This wavering has affected Trump's political reputation. Recent polls show vaccine issues are among the few policy areas that favor Democrats more among voters.

Kennedy has long publicly questioned vaccine safety and faced controversy during his Senate confirmation process. Now, he has replaced all members of the vaccine advisory committee with his own team, drawing dissatisfaction from some Republican lawmakers. North Carolina Senator Tillis criticized his actions as "inconsistent" with confirmation hearing promises.

Despite disagreements, Kennedy maintains relatively high public approval and is viewed as one of the most popular cabinet members. As one former government official noted, his tough reforms are destined to "offend the old system," but with presidential support, he has sufficient political capital to continue pushing his agenda.