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Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely become a health czar in Donald Trump’s incoming administration—at least until he’s inevitably fired. Nevertheless, Kennedy has promised to not only investigate vaccines but also get rid of fluoride in our drinking water.
“We don’t need fluoride in our water," he told NPR on Wednesday.
Kennedy unveiled this plan in a Nov. 2 post on X, writing, “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”
But this isn’t just the statement from one of Trump’s allied conspiracy cranks. Trump himself is on board with the idea.
“Well, I haven’t talked to [Kennedy] about it yet, but it sounds okay to me. You know, it’s possible,” Trump told NBC News' Dasha Burns.
Adding fluoride to water has helped reduce cavities and tooth decay in children and adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That saves families money on dental care. And the vast majority of research shows very little evidence of anything besides benefits for children, though there may be some risks for pregnant women of ingesting too much fluoride.
The World Health Organization, American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and others have long supported the practice.
