RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff

February 14, 2026 - 00:53

In a significant restructuring of his public health team, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has confirmed the departure of two senior health officials. The exits mark a notable shift in the campaign's approach to health policy.

Among those leaving is a key advisor who had been serving as the head of the campaign's proposed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team. The second official held a prominent senior role within the health department framework being assembled by Kennedy. The campaign has framed the moves as a strategic realignment, stating the changes are intended to refine its public health messaging and policy development as the election season intensifies.

Kennedy, who has built his campaign around critiques of mainstream public health institutions and vaccine policies, is emphasizing a platform of what he calls medical freedom and skepticism of pharmaceutical influence. The staff reorganization suggests an effort to consolidate this message. The campaign has not yet announced immediate replacements, indicating that a new structure for its health advisory apparatus may be forthcoming. Political observers note that such internal changes are common for campaigns seeking to sharpen their focus heading into the final months before an election.