Six former US surgeons general have issued a warning against Health Secretary RFK Jr., calling him a “menace.” NPR's A. Martinez speaks with one of them, former US Surgeon General Richard Carmona.
And Martinez, presenter:
One group where there is bipartisan agreement includes the former US Surgeon General. Six of them issued a joint warning against Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They believe that his policies and positions pose a threat to the health of the nation. Under Kennedy's leadership, they wrote in an article in The Washington Post, quoting them, “science and experience took a backseat to ideology and disinformation.” To talk more about this, we turned to Richard Carmona, who served as US Surgeon General under former President George W. Bush.
Let's start with what we heard there in Yuki Noguchi's report. How concerned are you that people are putting party politics as a guiding factor when it comes to health care decisions and even health policy development?
RICHARD CARMONA: We're very concerned, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that people have gone back to their instinctive tribes. But the problem is that the mistrust is caused by these very people who are supposedly leading us, where they eliminated the agencies that had real scientists who provided information and replaced it with ideology. Mr. Kennedy has a long history of making highly unusual remarks about vaccines, drugs and food that have no scientific basis. And if this continues, we will see the vaccination rate decline. We're already seeing diseases that don't usually come back, like measles. People will die and the consequences will be significant.
MARTINEZ: The editorial you wrote with your colleagues says you took two sacred oaths – as doctors sworn to care for their patients, and as public servants sworn to protect the health of all Americans. So, Doctor, how will you continue to do this when the head of the Department of Health appears to be ignoring science?
CARMONA: It's very frustrating for all of us, and we've had a lot of conversations about recognizing that it's unprecedented to have a group of former surgeon generals challenge the government and say you're wrong. And the reason is that all the people who served as a guardrail – scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIH, other organizations – were fired, fired or let go. Those there are concerned about intimidation and coercion if they do not conform to the ideology. All of this is detrimental to the health, safety and security of our nation.
MARTINEZ: Doctor, if the United States is truly as divided as it is made out to be, your warning will be seen by one camp as legitimate and terrible, and then…
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTINEZ: …If you believe the other camp, perhaps there is no point in drawing any conclusions.
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTINEZ: So who exactly is this warning for?
CARMONA: We understand that this is so partisan. Some of us served in Democratic administrations and some of us served in Republican ones, and we respected that leadership. We could always give honest opinions about the best science that could be translated into policy. So, at this point, we feel that with the power of all of us together—the Surgeon Generals—and focusing on the best science, we may be able to at least hit the pause button on some people who are extreme in either direction, and start to see that we don't have ulterior motives.
MARTINEZ: What do you make of the fact that the United States currently does not have a surgeon general?
CARMONA: Well, they have a problem because they presented a young woman who never completed her training, who is not board certified, who does not have a valid medical license, but who is the candidate they are still trying to nominate for Surgeon General of the United States. And we believe that this would be a serious mistake.
MARTINEZ: Yes. And you're talking about Casey Means. She is nominated…
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTINEZ: …But no confirmation hearing was scheduled. She did not complete her surgical residency, and her medical license is invalid as of January 1, 2024.
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTINEZ: Doctor, more than 77 million people voted for Donald Trump.
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTINEZ: Some because they knew Trump was going to appoint RFK Jr. as health secretary. So what do you say to those people who think his approach is exactly what health agencies like the CDC and FDA need right now?
CARMONA: Let me put it this way. I think some of the things Secretary Kennedy wants are good. You know, removing additives from some foods to get back to farm-to-table food. Everything is fine. The real problem, however, is that these issues related to improving the health of the nation are hidden behind very caustic, divisive rhetoric. And so I think if he could handle this the way a leader should, without intimidation, without being forced to defend his interests, we could unite around this. But most of the things he said are so outrageous that you miss the few good things he said.
MARTINEZ: This is Dr. Richard Carmona. He was US Surgeon General under former President George W. Bush. Doctor, thank you.
CARMONA: Thank you. Appreciate this opportunity.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
© 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of Use And permissions pages in www.npr.org for more information.
The accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript may be modified to correct errors or accommodate audio updates. Audio on npr.org may be edited after it is originally broadcast or published. The authoritative recording of NPR programs is the audio recording.
