Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday blasted ‘the swamp’ for trying to drive a wedge between him and President Donald Trump and announced that he was not running for president in 2028.
Kennedy took to X to dispel rumors he was eyeing another presidential bid under the nose of Trump, who appointed him HHS head after Kennedy endorsed the Republican and ended his independent 2024 bid last August.
On Wednesday, Trump’s most controversial outside adviser Laura Loomer told Politico Playbook that she wanted a top Kennedy aide ousted, over concerns the adviser was helping the HHS secretary quietly mount a White House run.
‘The swamp is in full panic mode,’ Kennedy said on X. ‘D.C. lobby shops are laboring fiercely to drive a wedge between President Trump and me, hoping to thwart our team from dismantling the status quo and advancing POTUS’ Make America Healthy Again agenda.’
‘They’re pushing the flat-out lie that I’m running for president in 2028,’ Kennedy continued. ‘Let me be clear: I am running for president in 2028.’
He added that ‘my loyalty is to President Trump and the mission we’ve started.’
Kennedy then addressed Loomer’s call for his principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor, Stefanie Spear, to be fired.
Spear served as his 2024 campaign press secretary, one of Kennedy’s most visible campaign officials.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday that he was not mounting a 2028 presidential bid under President Donald Trump’s nose and blasted members of ‘the swamp’ for pushing those rumors
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted to X Friday to set the record straight that he was not pursuing another presidential bid and that President Donald trump had answered his ’20-year prayer’ to run the country’s top health agency
‘Their attacks on my staff, especially Stefanie Spear – a fierce, loyal warrior for MAHA who proudly serves in the Trump Administration and works every day to advance President Trump’s vision for a healthier, stronger America – are proof we’re over the target,’ Kennedy said.
Laura Loomer, President Donald Trump’s most controversial outside adviser, called for the firing of Stefanie Spear (pictured), Kennedy’s principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor, who had served as his 2024 campaign press secretary
Other conservatives in the MAGA movement took issue with Spear just weeks into the administration.
In February Axios quoted a number of unnamed sources from conservative organizations who had problems with some of Spear’s previous social media posts – which expressed support for Democratic causes.
Kennedy started his presidential campaign as a Democrat – the party of his famous family – but switched his affiliation to independent in October 2023 when it was clear he wouldn’t be able to beat incumbent President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.
A year ago, Kennedy joined forces with the Republican Trump – combining the MAGA movement with MAHA – Make America Healthy Again.
That coalition aided Trump in winning the election against Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
Last month, Axios reported that a call that included hundreds of MAHA supporters, including controversial comedian Russell Brand, appeared to be setting the table for Kennedy to launch another presidential bid.
That move could ruffle feathers with Trump, who is constitutionally barred from serving a third term, but has already indicated that he wants to play kingmaker in the next presidential election.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) is photographed on the campaign trail with former President Donald Trump (right) in October of last year. Kennedy dropped his independent presidential bid and endorsed Trump last August
The involvement of Tony Lyons on the call, who had run Kennedy’s MAHA PAC, signaled to some attendees that a 2028 bid was in the making.
Lyons has protested that interpretation and did so again on Friday.
‘The story that Secretary Kennedy was running for president was a made up story. There’s no truth to it whatsoever,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘Secretary Kennedy never gave any indication that he was planning to run for president.’
Lyons said that Kennedy was ‘disrupting an entrenched and deeply corrupt system that has allowed a small group of companies to make incredible profits from products that make Americans sick.’
‘Those companies are spending millions to attack Secretary Kennedy, Stefanie Spear and the rest of his incredible team,’ Lyons continued. ‘This is a desperate attempt to protect a revenue stream that is dependent on poisoning the American public.’
Kennedy, a prominent vaccine sceptic, was more vague in his post on who was to blame for spreading the 2028 rumors and tarnishing Spear in media reports.
‘The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic – and that’s exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office,’ Kennedy said.
