President-elect Trump nominates bitcoin-friendly RFK Jr. for US Secretary of Health

Crypto-friendly ex-Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been nominated for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services by President-elect Donald Trump.

RFK Jr. has been a prominent advocate for cryptocurrency, particularly bitcoin. During his 2024 presidential campaign, he proposed establishing a bitcoin strategic reserve to stabilize the U.S. dollar and exempt bitcoin profits from capital gains tax. Kennedy also disclosed that a significant portion of his personal wealth was invested in bitcoin and pushed for a light-touch regulatory environment for crypto in the U.S.

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump wrote in a statement late Thursday. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.” 

Kennedy's support for Trump and his potential role in the administration have been subjects of significant discussion, given his previous political affiliations and controversial views.

As a member of the famous Kennedy political family, which is strongly associated with the Democratic Party, RFK Jr. initially aligned with Democratic ideals. However, his positions on certain issues, such as his views on vaccines, increasingly diverged from mainstream Democratic stances. This became more pronounced during his 2024 presidential campaign, which he launched as an independent after failing to gain traction as a Democratic candidate. Kennedy suspended his presidential bid in August and endorsed the Republican candidate.

Critical of RFK Jr. in the past, Trump now sees him as the person to “Make America Healthy Again,” a slogan adopted by the former Democrat after endorsing the President-elect. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Thanking the President-elect, RFK Jr. said he looked forward to working with the department’s more than 80,000 staff to make Americans the healthiest people on Earth. “Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science,” he stated. “I will provide Americans with transparency and access to all the data so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families.”

MicroStrategy founder and fellow bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor was among those who congratulated RFK Jr. on his nomination. However, most high-level nominees for the U.S. federal government, such as the Secretary of Health, require Senate confirmation to assume their roles officially.

Trump’s pro-crypto team

If confirmed, RFK Jr. would become the latest member of Trump’s increasingly pro-crypto team. On Tuesday, the President-elect confirmed Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Strive Enterprises co-founder Vivek Ramaswamy will lead his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), leading to a surge in the price of the Musk-supported namesake memecoin.

U.S. entrepreneur Ramaswamy previously competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination but later dropped out and endorsed the President-elect.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in the announcement.

On the same day, Trump also nominated 15-year army veteran, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host and bitcoin holder Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. Following Trump’s election victory on Nov. 5, Hegseth said the President-elect was “making bitcoin great again” as its price surged above the $80,000 level for the first time. “All it took was signaling to that market that they weren’t going to be overregulated. Trump embraced them.”

Aides in Trump’s transition team are also explicitly pro-crypto, with VP-elect JD Vance another to previously disclose his bitcoin holdings and support for the industry.

But perhaps the most important upcoming nomination is the candidate to replace current Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, with Dan Gallagher, Chief Legal Officer at the crypto and stock trading app Robinhood, reportedly the front-runner.

Often perceived as being hostile toward the crypto industry, Gensler embarked on a series of enforcement actions against major players in the space during his tenure. However, in a reflective speech at the Practicing Law Institute's 56th Annual Institute on Securities Regulation on Thursday, he indicated that his time at the agency may soon be coming to an end.