Between now and Inauguration Day, President-elect Donald Trump and his allies will have the Herculean task of appointing 4,000 people to staff his administration. Trump campaign surrogate and “Make America Healthy Again” flagbearer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seems positioned to exert broad influence on who will run the nation’s health-related agencies. He’s already begun soliciting nominees — albeit in an unconventional way.
It’s still unclear whether Kennedy himself will land in the Department of Health and Human Services or elsewhere, and so anyone he recommends is an even more uncertain prospect. But that hasn’t stopped Kennedy from launching a webpage to crowdsource potential appointees for roles across the government. So far, the people’s picks are the standard MAHA fare of unconventional influencers, wellness entrepreneurs and physicians with dubious claims to fame.
The public page, called “Nominees for the People,” allows anyone to submit names for consideration (there does appear to be some screening to avoid a Boaty McBoatface situation). Kennedy announced its roll-out in a tweet just before Election Day. Users can vote and comment on nominations, while moderators handle the more mind-numbing tasks of flagging incomplete forms and grouping redundant submissions. The page uses an open-source platform created by the company Discourse.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.
Already have an account? Log in
