Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated for secretary of health and human services, has "lost his way", engineer and television presenter Bill Nye has said.
"I think he's lost his way," he said on Wednesday, Politico reported. Nye said he was referencing Kennedy's proposed plan to remove fluoride from the nation's drinking water in the first days of the Donald Trump administration.
Newsweek has contacted Kennedy for comment via email.
He has described fluoride as "an industrial waste" linked to a range of health concerns, including arthritis, thyroid disease, and lower IQ in children.
Since the 1950s, federal officials have endorsed water fluoridation as a measure to prevent tooth decay, continuing to promote the practice even after fluoride toothpaste became widely available several years later.
While fluoride can be found from various sources, researchers note that drinking water remains the primary source for most Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes water fluoridation as one of the 20th century's top 10 public-health achievements.
However, this does not mean fluoride is entirely risk-free. Excessive levels can lead to issues such as tooth discoloration, bone deformities and thyroid problems. In 2015, officials adjusted their recommended fluoride levels in drinking water to reduce the prevalence of fluorosis—a condition that causes white or brown marks on teeth which had become increasingly common in U.S. children.
Nye said he believes his dental health is better because the mineral is added to drinking water supply in Washington, D.C., where he grew up. Nearly 73 percent of the population receives fluoridated water in the U.S. Hawaii is the only U.S. state that bans the mineral.
In early November, Kennedy suggested Trump will advise U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water when he takes office. "On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S.. water systems to remove fluoride from public water," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. "President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump want to Make America Healthy Again."
Trump previously said he and Kennedy had not discussed the fluoride plan, but that the proposed ban "sounds OK to me."
The proposed fluoride ban is not Kennedy's only controversial stance.
He has repeatedly claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism, a theory scientists have debunked. "I do believe that autism does come from vaccines," he said last summer in an interview with Fox News, incorrectly arguing thimerosal, a preservative safely used in vaccines, is linked to autism.
According to the CDC: "Many studies have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and ASD [autism spectrum disorder]. To date, the studies continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASD."
In December 2023, Kennedy told CNN that he opposed vaccine mandates for children in public schools and claimed none were "safe and effective," despite health officials stating otherwise. He also called those used to combat COVID-19 the "deadliest vaccine ever made."
On Wednesday, Nye acknowledged Kennedy's baseless claims regarding the safety of vaccines.
"His other claims are extraordinary, and I really hope somebody will reconsider his position," he said.
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