Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on Friday against speculation he may run for president in 2028 and defended the loyalty of a longtime aide recently targeted by far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Kennedy called recent reports suggesting he may run for president again a “flat-out lie” and an attempt to “drive a wedge” between him and President Donald Trump.
“Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028,” he said in a social media post.
Kennedy’s lengthy post touted his work since taking the top spot at HHS to advance his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, a policy vision featuring pillars from his failed 2024 presidential campaign that he first unveiled after endorsing Trump last year.
Kennedy also defended his deputy chief of staff Stefanie Spear, a longtime aide who served as the principal communications staffer on his presidential campaign, as a “fierce, loyal warrior for MAHA.”
On Tuesday, Loomer told POLITICO she was concerned about Spear’s role at HHS and accused the Kennedy aide of trying to “utilize her position to try to lay the groundwork for a 2028 RFK presidential run.”
Kennedy said attacks against Spear and other members of his staff are “proof we’re over the target.” He did not mention Loomer by name in his post.
Loomer’s targeting of Spear comes after she led a pressure campaign that resulted in the ouster of Vinay Prasad, a vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration. Earlier this week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles intervened to reinstate Prasad in his original role at the FDA.
While Kennedy appeared to wave off any presidential ambitions for now, his allies appear to be organizing support should he change his mind.
Last month, a super PAC with ties to Kennedy hosted a call with supporters to mobilize grassroots support. Spear joined the call, Axios reported, which was hosted by Tony Lyons, who co-chaired the primary super PAC that supported Kennedy’s presidential campaign.
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