RFK Jr.’s Unique Position

During the Fox News Republican Debate in 2015, then-candidate Donald Trump took the stage and boldly said: “If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t even be talking about illegal immigration.” Similarly, if it weren’t for RFK Jr., would conservatives even be talking about the eradication of seed oils and beefing up the American diet? Perhaps, though not as much. RFK Jr.’s forward-thinking efforts to make a healthy and robust American diet appealing and accessible to ordinary Americans, including his campaign against seed oils and processed foods and his emphasis on organic, high-protein meals, resonates with me, in particular.

When considering RFK Jr.’s position in his administration, Trump stated:

I’ll tell you what… [RFK Jr.] can’t touch our liquid gold… He’s very strong on, you know, the pesticides and all of the different things…. He says, ‘We’re going to make it a healthy country.’ I said, ‘Good, Bobby, but do me one favor: Don’t touch the oil and gas. Let me handle that. I’ll handle the oil and gas.’ We’re not going to let him get involved.

Trump’s quip on Kennedy, a friendly jab, signals a way forward in adopting RFK Jr. and those similar while maintaining the core principles of a Christian, conservative movement. My intention is not to prove or disprove Kennedy’s accuracy in claims regarding vaccines, pharmaceuticals, or the environment. Instead, I suggest that conservatives make enough room for RFK Jr. and his friends in the tent as we work towards bettering our nation, our souls, and our bodies.

It is the prevailing theme of Plato’s Republic that a virtuous city requires a virtuous citizenry. Likewise, we may add, a healthy city requires a healthy population: this is, perhaps, the gist of RFK Jr.’s movement. If conservatives approach politics in the fullest sense ­–to promote a well-ordered society through the cultivation of a well-ordered citizenry– the addition of RFK Jr. is a step towards such a goal; any well-ordered soul will strive for a well-ordered body. High-brow and philosophic conservative journals regularly tout the call to revive the notion of the “good of the soul” or promote a virtuous nation but remain without a prominent voice or position. While RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement may not go hand-in-hand with such calls, it is a step forward to the “good of the soul,” as it forwards a higher view of ourselves and others.

I don’t seem to be the only one enthused by RFK Jr.’s movement; X and Instagram are filled with memes, videos, and users questioning and rejecting processed foods and seed oils. This “Make American Healthy Again” trend is also a vital part of the apparent masculine turn on the Right. Mary Eberstadt rightly noticed that prominent podcasters and comedians like Theo Von and Joe Rogan led the charge in a new trend of anti-pornography, vaccine skepticism, working out, and healthy eating. Young men everywhere are tuning in to such podcasters for entertainment and, at the same time, are adopting their views on such issues. Even CNN, surprisingly, published a fairly level-headed article in response to RFK Jr.’s plan to look at the fluoride levels in tap water across the United States, validating his worries of increased fluoride levels that potentially contribute to IQ reduction and health defects. The fact that CNN’s article isn’t a mere hit-piece disguised as a medical “fact-check” shows this interesting turn in the culture. RFK Jr., no doubt, is a key player in this new turn for conservatives.

I believe this turn is for the best. Healthy and organic living has been ceded to Whole Foods liberals for too long; vaccine skepticism failed to be articulated with scientific evidence; and elected Republicans have become far too entrenched in donations and pressure from Big Pharma. However, the question is how conservatives can temper the embrace of RFK Jr., as Trump proposed, while simultaneously adopting his forward-thinking approach into mainstream conservatism; surely we don’t want to imprudently embrace his views on abortion and gay marriage. The key, then, is to encourage RFK Jr.’s “MAHA” movement, which seeks to make the best of our health, to eventually trickle into seeking the best in literature, architecture, philosophy, religion, and the arts. While honorable, this will require more effort than Trump’s 2020 executive order to “promote beautiful federal architecture.”

If conservatives seriously wish to gain ground on making America beautiful, virtuous, and lovely, it’d be best not to let RFK Jr. and his movement fade out during the next four years. We can cautiously incorporate RFK Jr.’s health-focused ideas into the conservative movement while furthering our broader goals of building a healthier, more virtuous society—without fully aligning with his more socially liberal positions. As President Trump suggested, we should listen to Bobby on some things and not on others.

Written by: Jacob Christensen

The opinions in this article are those of the author.

The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Cover Photo Source: https://www.vox.com/health/385541/rfk-jr-trump-hhs-vaccines-fluoride