Image source, Getty Images

The US health secretary oversees everything from food safety to medical research and welfare programmes.

It is an open question how qualified Robert F Kennedy Jr is for the job, given his reputation as a vaccine sceptic.

In an interview last year, he said: "I do believe that autism comes from vaccines."

America's national public health agency, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is one of the bodies Kennedy will oversee if his nomination is confirmed.

It states in its FAQs about autism: "Many studies have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and ASD [autism spectrum disorder]. To date, the studies continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASD."

Kennedy has in fact a history of straying from the truth and spreading health information scientists say is false.

Yet he may bring some Kennedy passion to the role of health secretary when it comes to grappling with the nation's drug addiction crisis.

A heroin addict for 14 years in his youth, he talked about the issue in 2023 in an interview for the Daily Mail, external, saying: "We're losing a whole generation of youth. We lost 106,000 people this year alone from fentanyl deaths." The actual figure was even higher, at just over 107,500, external.

• Read more about Trump's unusual choice for health

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

As we've been reporting, Donald Trump has named vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr as his pick for health secretary.

His possible appointment has rattled many in Washington, with Robert Garcia, Democratic representative for California, calling the pick "insane" and warning it could "cost lives".

"He’s a vaccine denier and a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist. He will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems," he writes on X. , external

Some context: RFK Jr has previously questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Take a look at what he's said about them previously

Donald Trump has been back on stage after a post-campaign break from making speeches, and has made further appointments to his emerging administration. If you're just catching up, here is what's been happening while Europe was asleep:

• Donald Trump used a speech in Florida - his first public address since election night - to toast his victory and set out priorities for when he takes office in January, including pushing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict
• Trump was introduced by actor Sylvester Stallone and spoke to an audience which included many high-profile supporters, including Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Argentinian President Javier Milei
• Trump took to the stage shortly after nominating RFK Jr as his health secretary - a controversial choice given his history of vaccine scepticism and other misleading health claims
• Trump used the speech to say RFK Jr has a "great mind" - he had earlier said he would "make America healthy again"
• The president-elect unexpectedly announced Doug Burgum will be his interior ministry nominee during the speech
• Elsewhere, the fallout from Trump's nomination of Matt Gaetz to be attorney general has continued. A Senate committee chair has called for an investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct against him to be released

Stay tuned for all the latest.

The executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA) says he and his organisation will "absolutely oppose" Donald Trump's appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr as health secretary.

Speaking to BBC Newsday, Georges C Benjamin fiercely denounces Kennedy's qualifications for the role.

"He is not competent by training, management skills, temperament or trust to have this job. He's just absolutely the wrong guy for it," Benjamin says.

"He is really just a person without a health background who's already caused great damage in health in the country."

Benjamin pointed to Kennedy's previous comments questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and what might happen if there were another pandemic during his tenure.

Benjamin continues: "We're gonna talk to the public, we're gonna talk to the media, we're gonna talk to members of Congress – we're gonna advocate as loudly and as often as we can to make sure that people know what a risk he is to the public and to the public's health."

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Donald Trump has announced he plans to nominate top members of his criminal defence team, who battled the Justice Department and state prosecutors in multiple criminal cases on his behalf, for senior administration jobs.

John Sauer, the rapid-talking attorney who successfully won Trump a historic victory at the US Supreme Court, will be his nominee for US solicitor general.

Todd Blanche, who represented Trump in three of his four criminal prosecutions, and Emil Bove, the second chair for his New York hush money case, will both be nominated for high ranking posts at the US Department of Justice.

Trump prizes loyalty above all else, and Blanche proved himself to be a creative and consistent attack dog for his client. He adopted some of Trump's bombastic posturing during the unsuccessful New York hush money defence earlier this year, openly attacking witnesses character and repeatedly sparring with the judge.

In a few days, we will find out if Blanche secures his biggest victory yet: overturning the sole criminal conviction against Trump in his hush money trial. He and Bove have argued that Trump's conviction in New York should be overturned on the grounds of presidential immunity.

As we've been reporting, Donald Trump gave his first public speech since election night on Thursday, seizing the moment to celebrate "the most consequential election in the last 129 years".

He was speaking at a political event in Florida, where many of his most high-profile supporters - including Elon Musk, RFK Kr and Matt Gaetz - had gathered.

During a short address, he indicated his administration would prioritise the situation in the Middle East, as well as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which he said has "got to stop".

You can watch some of the key moments below.

Image source, Reuters

RFK Jr's nomination for the highest health position in the US government was not a given.

While Trump had repeatedly said the former independent presidential candidate would have some sort of role in his administration during the campaign, he generally kept vague about what that might entail.

RFK clearly expected to be given a job after he endorsed Trump - and said so publicly - but again, there was ambiguity over what form it would take.

Six days before the election, Howard Lutnick - who is now co-leading Trump's transition team - told CNN, external that RFK Jr was "not getting a job" running the health department, seemingly ruling out the cabinet-level role, while leaving the door open to a less senior position.

Tonight we've learned RFK is getting that exact job after all - if the Senate approves him.

Image source, Reuters

Donald Trump's daughter-in-law says she is open to serving in the Senate, amid reports she is being considered as a potential successor to Marco Rubio, who is set to quit his Florida seat after being nominated as secretary of state earlier this week.

The former television producer is the wife of the president-elect's second son, Eric Trump, and is the co-chair of the Republican National Convention.

"If I were tapped for this, serving my homestate now of Florida, it's a great honour and a great responsibility, obviously," she tells Fox Business. "If this is something I'm asked to do, I would seriously consider it."

Image source, Reuters

Robert F Kennedy Jr's elevation to the cabinet - pending Senate approval - comes after a period in which his public profile has surged, not least because of some high-profile controversies. Here are some of the incidents that have seen RFK Jr hit the headlines.

Babysitter assault claim: A former Kennedy family babysitter alleged RFK Jr groped her on several occasions. He apologised but said he could not remember the alleged incident. He reportedly wrote: “I never intended you any harm. If I hurt you, it was inadvertent. I feel badly for doing so.”

The Central Park bear: RFK Jr made headlines earlier this year when a news report connected him to the discovery of a dead bear cub in New York's Central Park in 2014, a mystery which was highly publicised at the time. Kennedy admitted he planted the carcass and made it look like it had been killed in a cycling hit-and-run incident as a prank.

The 'dog' barbecue: During his independent presidential run prior to endorsing Trump, pictures emerged of RFK Jr eating what appeared to be a barbecued dog. He denied it was dog meat, instead saying it was a goat.

Family rifts: RFK Jr has one of the most storied names in American politics, a clan which is closely associated with the Democratic Party. RFK Jr's newfound association with the right-wing Trump movement and his history of spreading conspiracy theories has been strongly criticised by several family members and has seen him effectively disowned.

Image source, Getty Images

A short while ago, we heard Trump unexpectedly confirm another senior appointment during his short speech in Florida, announcing he will nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to be interior secretary.

That's a cabinet role which oversees management of federal land and plays an important role in a number of environmental and energy-related matters.

The Republican ran for president in 2024 but ultimately dropped out and backed the president-elect, becoming an advisor to his campaign, particularly on energy issues.

He is currently serving his second term as North Dakota's governor and his first term saw local protests over the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline, which critics say impacts native American land

There had been speculation Burgum might be chosen to lead the energy department.

It appears he may not have been fully expecting his appointment to be publicly confirmed on Thursday evening.

Speaking minutes before Trump's speech, Burgum said there had been "a lot of discussion about a lot of different things" in relation to him getting a job, but indicated no decision had been taken.

Jessica Parker
Reporting from Florida

Donald Trump stood in a bowtie as he nodded to select individuals in the crowd.

Among them was Argentinian President Javier Milei, a “MAGA person” declared the president-elect.

There was a quip that tech billionaire Elon Musk, who’s been hanging out at Mar-a-Lago, might be outstaying his welcome.

“I can’t get him out of here,” joked Trump.

The president-elect was enjoying himself and the moment. He made it clear he’s been waiting a long time to get back into the White House.

Trump will have to wait a little longer for that as his inauguration isn’t until January - but this was a victory lap in front of an adoring crowd.

As we've just been reporting, Donald Trump has been speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where he is hosting a number of high-profile supporters, including some set to join his new government.

Image source, Getty Images

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We have more out of the political gala where Trump just finished speaking.

Before Trump came to the stage, American actor Sylvester Stallone of Rocky fame spoke to the crowd, praising Trump.

"No one could have done what this man has done," Stallone said. "He’s the second George Washington."

Image source, Getty Images

Trump ends his brief speech in Florida by saying the Russia-Ukraine war has "got to stop" and that it will be a priority when he assumes power in January.

The president-elect has repeatedly said he will end the conflict immediately after taking office, though has not detailed his plan to do so.

He tells supporters his other priorities are the Middle East, "cleaning out the corrupt, broken, failing bureaucracies" and ending "child sexual mutilation".

Trump doesn't go into any further detail on these plans and leaves the stage after a relatively short address, telling the Florida crowd it is a "great honour" to be among his big-name supporters.

While speaking in Florida, Trump announces he has made his selection for interior secretary: Doug Burgum.

The one-time presidential hopeful will lead the department responsible for the management and conservation of most natural resources and federal lands.

Most cabinet positions, including this one, require Senate approval.

Trump says it will be formally announced on Friday.

We're hearing Donald Trump speaking at the America First Policy Institute gala in Florida now.

These are the first extended public remarks we've heard from Trump since election night.

"No one knew we were going to win it the way we did, that was a big one," Trump says to the crowd.

He's thanking a number of people in the crowd, including Argentinian President Javier Milei and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Trump mentions Elon Musk, who has been with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago base in recent days.

"He likes this place, I just can't get him out of here, he likes this place and I like having him here too," Trump says of Musk.

Trump goes on to thank other high-profile supporters like Vivek Ramaswamy and Tulsi Gabbard, both of whom have been picked for senior jobs.

We've heard from President-elect Donald Trump several times on Thursday as he announces nominations for his upcoming White House term.

Now, this evening he will speak at the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect's resident in Florida.

The American First Policy Institute is an organisation closely aligned with Trump founded in 2021 by former Trump administration officials. It has made a series of conservative policy proposals for a second Trump administration.

We'll bring you the top lines from the president-elect's speech at the event, so stick with us.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who was elected by his fellow Republican lawmakers on Wednesday, has just spoken with Fox News about Trump's latest nominations.

After being pressed by the Fox journalist, Thune said he wasn't sure if Trump's attorney general nominee, Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz, could receive the majority of votes necessary to be confirmed in the Senate.

One of the ways in which Trump has suggested some nominees may be named to his White House team is through a process called recess appointments.

That means nominees could be appointed for a temporary term, up to a year, without requiring Senate approval. Thune had previously said he would not allow recess nominations to move forward.

"I hate to say yes or no, because I think that's still an open question," Thune told Fox about recess appointment.

"My view is we want to do this the regular way, and give the Democrats a chance to work with us on getting people in place.

"I hope the Democrats will work with us on defence, and CIA and NSA and some of those in [the Department of] State," he added.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

A top government watchdog group is demanding that the House Ethics Committee complete and release its investigation into alleged misconduct by Donald Trump's pick for US attorney general, Congressman Matt Gaetz.

The allegations include sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and misuse of campaign funds - all of which Gaetz denies.

The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew) argued in a letter to the panel's leadership that "nothing in the Committee's rules prevents you from doing so; in fact, the Committee’s mission commands it", referring to releasing their findings.

The letter cited similar examples of the Ethics Committee releasing reports even after lawmakers under scrutiny had resigned.

At the very least, Crew argued, documents needed to be turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would play a role in vetting and confirming a nominee for US attorney general.

"We do believe that the American public deserves full transparency and accountability on this matter," Virginia Canter, chief ethics counsel at Crew, told me today.

"There's arguably no more important position in the federal government than the attorney general," she said. "It crosses every sector, and the thought of somebody being considered for this position, knowing these allegations are out there, the fact that it wouldn't be made public is unthinkable."

Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill

I spent several hours on Capitol Hill today, chatting with representatives about their reactions to Donald Trump's nominations for his second administration.

Louisiana Republican Congressman Steve Scalise, who also serves as the House majority leader, spoke to reporters about Robert F Kennedy Jr being chosen for Health and Human Services secretary, calling Trump's cabinet picks "diverse".

"He's bringing in Republicans, Democrats, bringing in people of different walks of life," he said. "I think he's showing that he's looking at a whole lot of people and he's going to change the way Washington does business and really get a focus back on the American people."

When asked if he supports the House Ethics Committee releasing a report on Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz - who resigned after being named on Wednesday as Trump's choice for attorney general - Scalise said he was unaware of any report.

The House Ethics Committee has been investigating the Florida lawmaker for alleged sexual misconduct and financial impropriety.