Wait till they get a load of me
Keeping up with the various storylines and dramatics of Trump’s transition to power has proven a herculean effort, and in the midst of scandals and statements, he quietly took a meeting with an avowed and prominent anti-vaxxer to discuss...autism.
Trump has gone on record as being clearly anti-vaccination, though his most definitive 2012 statement on the matter has been largely lost in the fray of other outrage-inducing declarations since:
A study says @Autism is out of control--a 78% increase in 10 years. Stop giving monstrous combined vaccinations (cont) http://t.co/jthy8mww— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1333117553.0
Reminding us that his old statements and stances are no less dangerous than his trending ones, Trump took a meeting at his residence/workplace with Robert Kennedy Jr., the son of Bobby Kennedy and the creator of an awareness group called the World Mercury Project. Kennedy has long hinted and insinuated not just a correlation between vaccinations and other illnesses, but also a conspiracy to erase the connection from public consciousness.
Hallie Jackson, an NBC News reporter, shared news of the meeting via Twitter:
Trump spox responds to our Q's on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. meeting today: "exploring possibility" of autism committee,… https://t.co/pn4YQXO6uh— Hallie Jackson (@Hallie Jackson) 1484087900.0
Given the secretive nature of the parade of Trump Tower meetings, it’s unclear what was discussed or resolved in their conversation, but given precedent and current appearances, it’s indicative of a threat to turn anti-vaxxer doctrine into a matter of national health policy, which a tweet following the meeting suggests is very, very real:
Robert F Kennedy JR says Trump asked him to chair a commission on vaccine safety and he agreed. Has lobbied for vaccine exemptions.— Ginger Gibson (@Ginger Gibson) 1484075236.0