Kennedy Jr. and Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump attend a campaign event sponsored by the conservative group Turning Point USA, in Duluth, Georgia, US, October 23, 2024.
Carlos Barea | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump said Sunday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s proposal to remove fluoride from the U.S. water system “sounds good” to him, a position that goes against the advice of public health agencies.
“Well, I haven't talked to him about it yet, but it seems plausible to me. You know it's possible,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News' Dasha Burns, when asked about Kennedy's proposal.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy posted on X Saturday.
Trump also said Kennedy would have a major role in shaping public health policy in any Trump administration.
Fluoride occurs naturally in almost all water sources, and some is added to public water to help prevent tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The safety and benefits of fluoride are well documented and have been comprehensively reviewed by numerous scientific and public health organizations,” a post on the CDC website says.
The American Dental Association says 70 years of research supports the safety and effectiveness of adding fluoride to water, a process known as community water fluoridation.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the fluoride remark.
Kennedy is also a known vaccine skeptic, and has helped spread false conspiracy theories about public health. Asked by NBC News if “a ban on certain vaccines might be on the table” if Trump were president and Kennedy was in his administration, Trump left the door open.
“Well, I'll talk to him and I'll talk to other people, and I'll make a decision, but he's a very talented man with strong opinions,” Trump said.
The science on fluoride and water fluoridation is clear. But Trump's doubts, and the questions they could raise for voters about what public health might look like in a Trump White House, underscore the serious challenge the Trump campaign faces in its final days: sticking to the message.
Last weekend, insult comedian Tony Hinchcliffe described Puerto Rico as a “floating garbage island,” from which the Trump campaign has distanced itself.
These comments dominated the news cycle for days, until President Joe Biden appeared to call Trump supporters “trash,” before later saying that was not what he meant.
Republicans say voters are not paying attention to every controversial statement from Trump and his allies this week, and are instead focusing on the bigger issues in the race.
“Voters in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina are all talking about crime and unemployment,” Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican, said on CNN's “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“They're talking about the border. They're talking about the 70,000 Americans who lost their lives to fentanyl. They're not talking about fluoride.”
