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President Donald Trump announced the nominees for Deputy Secretary of Health and the new Director for the National Institutes of Health for his second term. He posted both picks Tuesday evening, noting that each nominee was chosen to work with his new Director of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump nominated former Principal Associate Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’neil as the Deputy Secretary of Health to aid RFK Jr. in his effort to “Make America Healthy Again.”
O’Neil is noted to have created the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to improve health during emergencies and disasters, worked to overhaul the Food and Drug Administration, as well as funding numerous nonprofits to advance science technology and aid research in Regenerative Medicine.
“Jim and RFK Jr. will fight in unison to ensure every American, and especially our most precious resource, our children, will live long and healthy lives, and Make America Healthy Again!” Trump declared.
In addition, President Trump announced his Director of the National Institutes of Health on Truth Social.
He stated, “I am thrilled to nominate Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, to serve as the Director of the National Institutes of Health,” and noted that Bhattacharya will work with RFK Jr. “to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives.”
He then listed the nominee’s long history working in health and economics and touched on Bhattacharya opposition to lockdowns (which was discussed in a book he co-authored in 2020) – something that President Trump also opposed in 2020.
Trump went on to promise that his nominee and Kennedy, “Will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease.”
He then vowed, “Together, they will work hard to Make America Healthy Again!”
I am honored and humbled by President @realDonaldTrump's nomination of me to be the next @NIH director. We will reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again and will deploy the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again! https://t.co/FrLmYznhfw
— Jay Bhattacharya (@DrJBhattacharya) November 27, 2024
Bhattacharya wrote about his acceptance to the role on X. He said that he was humbled by the nomination, and affirmed, “We will reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again and will deploy the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again!”
