Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the conspiracy theorist who now directs the Ministry of Health and Social Services, may have irreparably affected the country’s ability to develop new treatments, follow illnesses and fight pandemics. Last week, he expelled the head of the CDC after moving to accept the vaccine guidelines published by a panel of experts, rather than those of Kennedy himself. HHS then published new eligibility recommendations for the booster cocvid, severely restricting those who could obtain it. It is impossible to imagine Alex Azar, who served in the same position during Trump’s first term, doing all of this. Five years after Trump supervised Operation Warp Speed- the only unreserved success of his first mandate, which lived up to his name by developing a COVVI-19 vaccine in less than a year- the nation is on the verge of returning to dark ages: Kennedy’s vision of the country is that of strong surviving and immunity comes from contractual diseases, not to take vaccines.
The only member of Trump’s office, who seemed to be able to emerge as an “adult” – Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose appointment was praised by many of those who were worried about the administration management – has shown no inclination to moderate the president’s impulses. He supervised an imprudent, bellicose and clearly undertaken foreign policy at the service of Trump’s personal ambition to win a Nobel Peace Prize rather than any strategic interest. While famine spreads to Gaza and in support of the United States for Ukraine to see between soaked support and complete disdain, Rubio has always supported behind the president. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, he houses the ambitions to succeed him.) It is in contrast to Rex Tillerson, who regularly pushed heads with Trump, smoothed relations with vexed foreign leaders, and would have told other members of his national security team that Trump was a “moron”.
However, there is only one adult: Jerome Powell, the president of the Federal Reserve. Powell was first appointed by Trump in 2018, but the president quickly came to regret it. Trump spent a large part of his first mandate Badmouing Powell and targeted him throughout his second, all because Powell refused to reduce interest rates, as Trump wishes. Powell does this because, well, it is an “adult”: given the persistent problem of inflation, the reduction in interest rates involves an enormous risk. Powell holds the line, and its dismissal, which, according to legal experts, would not pass, could cause the tank of the markets. Trump can do it anyway – and the Republicans and conservative judges of the Supreme Court will probably sit down lazily.
