WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s not running for president in 2028 and intends to remain in his position until President Donald Trump leaves office.
The leader of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement said in an X post that his “loyalty” lies with Trump, and he dismissed speculation about his political future as part of a “smear campaign” from disgruntled Washington insiders who oppose the MAHA agenda.
“They’re pushing the flat-out lie that I’m running for president in 2028. Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy competed for the presidency in 2024, first as a Democrat and later as an independent, before suspending his candidacy last August and throwing his support behind Trump. After the election, Trump made him HHS secretary.
His comments ruling out a 2028 bid came far-right activist Laura Loomer accused Kennedy aide Stefanie Spear of using her position at HHS to lay the groundwork for Kennedy to run again.
Loomer’s comment came in a Politico interview and followed an Axios report in July that said Kennedy super PAC head Tony Lyons and Spear convened MAHA supporters on a call that left some attendees with the impression he was mulling another campaign.
But in his social media post, Kennedy said, “The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic — and that’s exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. says he’s not running for president in 2028
