On Real Time, Bill Maher seemed pretty open to President-elect Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services.
He started off his chat with Dr. Casey Means, a physician and author, by discussing the public’s panic over Trump choosing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the role. “Honestly, our health system is already a mess,” Maher remarked on Friday night. “Sure, it might get worse under him, but I’m not losing my mind over it.”
Dr. Means pointed out that the recent election indicated that Americans are eager to tackle the chronic disease epidemic, and she sees RFK Jr. as someone ready to do just that.
Maher mentioned Kennedy’s recent statements about vaccines: “He said if you want them, go ahead; they won’t be mandatory.
That seemed to be a big sticking point for many before.” He added, “I’ve said this repeatedly—there are certain diseases where I’d fight for a vaccine, but then there are others I’d rather skip altogether.”
Means raised concerns about how the U.S. ranks as the unhealthiest among top high-income nations and noted that life expectancy for American men is just 73—ten years shorter than in places like Japan and Switzerland.
“This should outrage everyone,” she told Maher, emphasizing how only one political party addressed chronic illness during this election cycle while lamenting that Harris’s campaign never even mentioned those words.
She continued by explaining what Trump has asked RFK Jr. to do: eliminate corruption in health agencies, provide solid research for health guidelines, and tackle chronic disease trends within two years so Americans can celebrate their 250th anniversary in better health than ever—a plan she found appealing.
However, Maher was a bit doubtful about whether Trump would keep these promises: “Believe me; if some bigwig from Big Pharma calls him up saying he’s messing with their profits? Trump could easily backtrack on all of this.”
Still optimistic, Means suggested that perhaps RFK has opened Trump’s eyes to the serious healthcare issues facing America: “It seems like he’s starting to understand just how monumental this problem is.”
Maher acknowledged Kennedy’s eccentricities but argued we need some disruption in the system: Sure, he says some wild stuff—but maybe that’s what we need right now.
After suspending his own presidential bid, Kennedy endorsed Trump and became one of his key supporters while promoting his MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) initiative during his final pitch to voters.