A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
One group where there is bipartisan agreement includes the nation's former U.S. surgeons general. Six of them have issued a joint warning about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They believe his policies and positions pose a threat to the nation's health. Under Kennedy's leadership, they write in an opinion piece in The Washington Post, quote, "science and expertise have taken a backseat to ideology and misinformation." To talk more about this, we've called on Richard Carmona who served as U.S. surgeon general under former President George W. Bush.
Let's start with what we heard there in Yuki Noguchi's reporting. How concerned are you that people are putting partisan politics as the guiding factor when it comes to health care decisions and even health care policymaking?
RICHARD CARMONA: We're very concerned, and a lot of that is because people have reverted to their instinctual tribes. But the problem is, is that the mistrust is caused by these very people who are ostensibly leading us, where they've dismantled the agencies that had real scientists who provided information and instead replaced it with ideology. Mr. Kennedy has a long history of making very unusual remarks about vaccines, medications, food that have no scientific basis. And if this continues, we'll see vaccine rates will drop. We're already seeing diseases that usually we don't see coming back like measles. People will die, and the ramifications are significant.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, in the editorial you wrote with your peers, it said that you took two sacred oaths - as physicians who swore to care for your patients, and then as public servants who committed to protecting the health of all Americans. So, Doctor, how do you continue to do that when you have the head of HHS seemingly ignoring science?
CARMONA: It is very frustrating for all of us, and we've had many conversations recognizing that it is unprecedented for a group of former surgeons general to take on its government and say you're wrong. And the reason is, is that all of the people who served as the guardrails - the scientists at CDC, at NIH, other organizations - they've been dismissed, fired or let go. The ones that are there are worried about intimidation and coercion if they don't fall in line with the ideology. That is all detrimental to the health, safety and security of our nation.
MARTÍNEZ: Doctor, if the United States is indeed as divided as it's made out to be, your warning will be taken as legitimate and dire by one camp, and then...
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: ...By the other camp, maybe not worth putting any stock in.
CARMONA: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: So who exactly is this warning intended for?
CARMONA: We understand that it's so partisan. Some of us have worked in Democratic administrations and some of us in Republican administrations, and we respected that leadership. We were always able to render an honest opinion about the best science that could be made into policy. So, for now, we feel that the power of all of us together - surgeons general - and focusing on the best science, we'll be able to maybe at least hit the pause button for some people who are extreme in either direction and start to see that we have no ulterior motive.
MARTÍNEZ: What do you make of the fact that there is currently no U.S. surgeon general?
CARMONA: Well, they're having a problem because they brought forth a young lady who has never finished training, is nonboard certified, no active medical license, but this is the candidate that they are still attempting to bring forward to be surgeon general of the United States. And we think it would be a grave mistake.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. And you're talking about Casey Means. She has been nominated...
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: ...But no hearings have been set up to confirm her. She did not finish her surgical residency, and her medical license is inactive as of January 1, 2024.
CARMONA: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: Doctor, there are over 77 million people who voted for Donald Trump.
CARMONA: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Some because they knew Trump was going to nominate RFK Jr. as health secretary. So what do you say to those people who feel his approach is exactly what health agencies such as the CDC and FDA need right now?
CARMONA: Let me put it in this perspective. Some of the things that Secretary Kennedy wants, I think, are good ones. You know, the taking additives out of certain foods, to get back to eating farm to table. All are good. The real issue, though, is these issues which are germane to improving the health of the nation are hidden within some very caustic divisive rhetoric. And so I think that if he was able to handle this as a leader should, without intimidation, without coercion to make his case, we could align around that. But most of the things he said are so outrageous that you lose sight of the few good things that he's talked about.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Dr. Richard Carmona. He was U.S. surgeon general under former President George W. Bush. Doctor, thank you.
CARMONA: Thank you. Appreciate the opportunity.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
