Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a Nashville crowd on Feb. 4 that it was possible to “cure schizophrenia using keto diets.” This claim, though shocking, was no more unfounded than when he asserted a link between acetaminophen and autism last September. All the while, his campaign platform of renouncing vaccine mandates has culminated in the largest measles outbreak in decades, including in Los Angeles County.
Yes, that guy is our country’s Secretary of Health.
But playing the role of logic’s contrary isn’t exactly new. The snake oil salesman has been a hallmark of con men for millennia – we’ve just never let him take public office in the president’s cabinet.
No matter how much science or reason supports an idea, truth will always bear skeptics.
There’s an inherent desire in iconoclasts to be the next Galileo and correctly claim that the Earth revolves around the sun, while the rest of society tells them the opposite. They want to go against the grain and be the one in a million to think outside the box of fact, even though the vast majority of truth still exists inside that box.
This has extreme manifestations in conspiracy theorists and religious cults, but no group better epitomizes this philosophy than the disciples of Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
The panacea of the hopeful revolutionary has varied from raw milk to ivermectin to refusing vaccines in recent years, a stark contrast from harmless experiments in the past such as CBD and snake oil. These promoted magic bullets are no longer shots in the dark, gas station placebos sold to make a quick buck, but rather actively harmful hazards.
When the trigger-happy pseudoscientist finds a hammer, everything becomes a nail. Ivermectin successfully deworms horses? Use it to treat COVID. Cannabis oil aids chronic pain? It must cure cancer.
These ideas have always existed on the margins of society, only becoming normalized during Trump’s rise to political prominence. And like many other aspects of Trumpism, RFK’s snake oil isn’t rooted in fact.
The sentiment of the MAHA movement isn’t entirely baseless. With an obesity rate near 40%, the U.S. certainly needs to prioritize the everyday health of its citizens.
Where Kennedy Jr. falls short is in his attack on science. Critical thinking is an important skill that needs to be harnessed to create change, except no progress can be made when it’s weaponized against itself. Science is a proponent of a healthy society, not an enemy. MAHA’s efforts should be focused on attacking the social institutions that have allowed unhealthy norms to codify themselves, not the research promoting healthy practices.
It’s at least somewhat inspiring to say that RFK’s heart might be at least somewhere near the right place. With some realignment of his misguided assault on research, actual steps could be made in the right direction – perhaps for the first time under the Trump administration.