Who’s Running America… Trump’s Health Secretary (RFK Jr)
Americast
BBC
4.2 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 2 March 2025
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America.
We’re ending the series with Robert F Kennedy Jr., the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has been tasked with making America healthy again - an appointment which came as a surprise to some, given that he’s been accused of supporting the anti-vaccination movement and spreading misinformation.
Spurning a democratic dynasty and risking a family rift to embrace Trump’s administration, his aim now is to end the ‘chronic disease epidemic’. But who is he? And will Americans be any healthier with him in charge?
Marianna is joined by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times Health Correspondent and Clare Malone, Staff Writer at The New Yorker to find out who RFK Jr. really is and why he was appointed.
We also hear from Del Bigtree, who was RFK Jr.’s Communications Director during his brief Presidential run, who tells us he’s an ‘amazing guy’ who loves nature and walking barefoot.
HOSTS: Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent
GUESTS:
- Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times Health Correspondent - Clare Malone, Staff Writer at The New Yorker
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This episode was made by Keiligh Baker and Chris Flynn with Marianna Brain, Catherine Fusillo and Joe McFadden. The technical producer was Phil Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is the final episode in a special AmeriCast mini-series on Who is Running America. |
| 0:10.0 | We've been profiling some of the people in Donald Trump's inner team, their background, what motivates them, and why they believe the things that they do. |
| 0:17.1 | We've already looked at multi-billionaire, Elon Musk, who I spend a lot of time talking about at the moment, and Trump's right-hand man, Stephen Miller. |
| 0:24.5 | Today, we're looking at the life of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He's part of what you could call the US equivalent of the royal family, the Kennedys, who have been very close to or even held the presidency. |
| 0:35.2 | He started off as a Democrat and then he ran for president as an independent, |
| 0:38.8 | with a campaign video in which he made light of some of the less complimentary headlines written about him, |
| 0:43.7 | read in his very distinctive voice, which is like that because of a rare neurological disorder. |
| 0:47.8 | He is nuts and clearly disturbed. |
| 0:51.3 | The standard. |
| 0:52.7 | He's angry of vanity fair. His own family hates's angry, Vanity Fair. |
| 0:54.9 | His own family hates him. |
| 0:57.2 | In New York Post. |
| 0:58.6 | He sounds like he's transmitting from another galaxy. |
| 1:01.7 | He is so crazy. |
| 1:03.3 | The New York Post. |
| 1:05.1 | Kennedy is a humorless bully living in a paranoid fantasy, vanity fair. |
| 1:10.7 | I wouldn't vote to that guy either. |
| 1:14.5 | So once he dropped out of the presidential race, |
| 1:17.5 | what made Donald Trump pick him to be his man in charge of health? |
| 1:21.0 | Welcome to AmeriCast. |
| 1:25.1 | AmeriCast from BBC News |
| 1:27.8 | God spared my life for a reason |
... |
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