Trump Allies in Bitter War with RFK Jr.

This was pretty inevitable. Arguments fly during transitions regarding political policy and nominations to departments  Great care is taken so as to keep the fights to a minimum. Even more care goes into keeping it all out of the media for others to analyze. Reports on antagonism and troubles behind the door can actually pin the candidate into a corner, taking various options off the table. But there are now reports of very serious fights, ones far less “usual,” within the new President-elect transition team and they all seem to center on one guy, RFK Jr

This – too, was a certainty. Kennedy ran for president as an independent anti-vax and pro-conspiracy theorist. In so doing, RFK represented a dangerous threat to Trump’s chances to win. (We will never know how it would’ve played out). It is likely that Kennedy might have garnered 10-20% of the vote. It is also safe to say that the 10-20% were votes that otherwise would have gone to Trump. So it was absolutely imperative that Trump offer RFK Jr. something too good to turn down in exchange for dropping out.

Kennedy ran as hard for Trump as anyone. He knew he would get the position (How could Trump make deals going forward if he had ditched Kennedy after winning?) But he is most certainly not a true believer. Kennedy is pro-choice, he is for universal healthcare like Medicare, and very much against some corporate issues that run contrary to Trump supporters. Any fights to be had almost inevitably would’ve included Kennedy against a true believer.

In particular, reported Meredith Lee Hill and Adam Cancryn, Kennedy’s demands for how Trump staff the U.S. Department of Agriculture have gone ignored and he has been “bitterly warring” with Trump allies over the appointments,

It is interesting that the fights concern the Department of Agriculture. It is unsurprising that it comes down to staffing. Appointments during the  transition are the biggest to be had during the period and likely personal to a lot of people. Kennedy does have very strong feelings about food growth and preparation. It is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration which is within the Department of Health and Human Services – which Kennedy will likely lead in the near future. He wants his own people and the team does not.

Kennedy also has an agenda that many Trump supporters will oppose. According to Rawstory reporting.

Kennedy wants to overhaul the Medicare billing system and overhaul the American Medical Association’s influence over the process, an idea many Democrats support. His “Make America Healthy Again” agenda also calls for a broad range of bans on pesticides, preservatives, and artificial dyes commonly used throughout the U.S. agricultural system, which has raised alarms among some Republican senators representing agriculture-intensive states.

There are going to be clashes in any transition. It is imperative to not allow leaks emerge that will limit options and-or simply embarrass the leader- draining some political capital. It is, however – weird, that this transition continues to spring leaks about fights and backstabbing. This is especially true when one considers the strength of the fights. It would be hard to use more intense words or paint a more troubling position.

Unless they declare war on leaks and warring – kind of,  these troubles are going to keep coming up and really should be watched.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak, now on Blue Sky – a great alternative.

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