DeSantis Suggests RFK Jr. Could Head His Administration’s CDC or FDA

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors national summit at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia on June 30, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has ruled out Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a potential running mate, although he would consider the Democratic presidential hopeful for a health position in his administration if elected president.

In an interview with Clay Travis on OutKick on July 26, Mr. DeSantis said he and Mr. Kennedy shared the same views on Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The two also agreed “100 percent” on the “corruption in the health bureaucracies,” the governor added.

“If you’re president, stick him on the FDA if he'd be willing to serve, or stick him on CDC,” Mr. DeSantis said, referring to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both presidential hopefuls share a similar view on how Dr. Fauci should be held accountable. During the interview, Mr. DeSantis emphatically said “yes” when asked if he would prosecute Dr. Fauci if elected, before adding that the former director “is guilty of lying before Congress.”

Earlier this month, Mr. Kennedy told Fox News that he would prosecute Dr. Fauci as president if “there were crimes that he committed.”

Running Mate

Mr. DeSantis also dismissed the idea that Mr. Kennedy could potentially be his running mate, saying he “is more liberal.”

“In terms of being veep, there’s 70 percent of the issues that he may be averse to our base on; that just creates an issue,” Mr. DeSantis added.

The governor pointed to Mr. Kennedy’s opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action policies at U.S. colleges and universities.

The Florida governor also mentioned a now-deleted article that Mr. Kennedy wrote in 2014 for EcoWatch, saying: “He used to say—and I don’t know if he still believes this—that if you deny climate change, you should go to jail. Things like that.”

Robert Kennedy Jr., 2024 Presidential hopeful, arrives to testify before the "Weaponization of the Federal Government" hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 20, 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

On July 12, Mr. Kennedy wrote on Twitter that “Climate change is being used to control us through fear,” while sharing a 106-second campaign video declaring his position on the environment.

“My approach to energy is using free markets and not top-down control,” Mr. Kennedy said in the video. “We can recover what we had, but we just have to stay out of fear because that is the weapon of tyrants.”

Mr. DeSantis said he would want a running mate who can appeal to his supporters.

“I just think at the end of the day, you know, you need somebody that’s going to reflect the values of the broad coalition. Yes, the medical stuff, I’m very good on that. So that does appeal to me. But there’s a whole host of other things that he’d probably be out of step with,” the governor said.

Earlier this month, Mr. DeSantis said he would consider Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as a potential running mate, saying she is “one of the top public servants in America.”

Days later, Ms. Reynolds appeared to dismiss the idea of teaming up with the Florida governor for a White House bid in 2024, when she told Fox News that she is “busy working on being governor.”

‘Pro-life Americans’

Mr. DeSantis’s praise for Mr. Kennedy was criticized by one of his GOP opponents.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who announced his 2024 White House bid in June, took to Twitter to say Mr. Kennedy wouldn’t be on his list if elected president.

“When I am President, I will only consider Pro-Life Americans to lead FDA, CDC, or HHS. To be clear, pro-abortion Democrats like RFK, Jr. would not even make the list,” Mr. Pence wrote.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks in Anaheim, Calif., on April 18, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Both Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Pence trail former President Donald Trump by a large margin, according to the latest poll from McLaughlin & Associates. Among the 452 respondents surveyed between July 19 and July 24, 52 percent said they would vote for Mr. Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Mr. DeSantis finished second with 13 percent, followed by Vivek Ramaswamy with 8 percent, and Mr. Pence with 5 percent.

The poll also found President Joe Biden in the lead with 65 percent of support, while Mr. Kennedy finished a distant second with 13 percent of support.

In a hypothetical three-way race for the presidency, Mr. Trump picked up 42 percent of support, edging out Mr. Biden by two percentage points. Cornel West of the Green Party finished with 5 percent of support, while 13 percent were undecided.