Kennedy Podcast Aims to Expose 'Corruption,' 'Lies'

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a podcast that he says will begin "a new era of radical transparency in government," according to a teaser video first obtained by The Associated Press.

"The Secretary Kennedy Podcast" will debut next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country's health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists, and agency staff, Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch.

In the teaser video, made in a slick HHS-branded studio with ominous music playing in the background, Kennedy bills it as a new way to expose corruption and lies that have made Americans sick.

"We're going to name the names of the forces that obstruct the paths to public health," Kennedy says in the nearly 90-second clip.

Joining the Trump administration last year gave Kennedy a new platform for his views, some of which contradict widely accepted scientific consensus. A podcast could further elevate those ideas.

Administration officials say it will help spread an important message about chronic disease and improving health to a wider audience.

"This is part of our larger strategy to bring the Make America Healthy Again message to as wide an audience as we can," said Liam Nahill, HHS digital director.

The new communication effort from HHS comes as the department has faced a bevy of recent setbacks, including widespread criticism of its vaccine policy changes, a federal ruling last month blocking several of those moves, and resistance from key Republican senators that has kept President Donald Trump's surgeon general pick from taking office.

In that way, it could be seen as part of a broader rebranding strategy as the agency redirects away from vaccine efforts and toward a less contentious agenda on healthful food ahead of November's midterm elections.

But the show, which has been in the works since early in the second Trump administration, also reflects Kennedy returning to a format where he has long felt at ease. Before he entered office, he previously hosted his own podcast and has appeared on dozens to share his perspectives in long-form interviews, as recently as this week.

Tyler Burger, HHS digital communications manager and the producer of the new podcast, said while Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has a podcast, officials believe Kennedy's will be the first to be hosted by a sitting Cabinet secretary.

"We're kind of bringing podcasting into the government as an official form and arm of our messaging," Burger said.

He said the set for the show was pieced together largely with items the agency already had and has the capacity for a total of four people to sit in conversation together.

Because podcasts are commonly made not only in audio but video, they are regularly clipped and shared across social media platforms, giving them "massive" reach, according to Melina Much, a postdoctoral fellow at New York University's Center for Social Media and Politics.

She said podcasts also tend to be more intimate, conversational, and friendly than a traditional interview, allowing administration officials to promote themselves without facing as much pushback.

While Kennedy's teaser focuses on uncovering lies, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the show will aim to cover affordability and other topics that polls show are salient for voters of both parties ahead of the midterms.

"Americans are united on the need to urgently address chronic disease, improve nutrition, strengthen food quality, and lower health costs," he said. "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast will cover all those issues."