Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine advocacy is outside the mainstream. But a new poll finds that not all of his controversial health goals are unpopular — in fact, at least one has broad support among Democrats and Republicans. As Kennedy’s Senate confirmation hearings begin, his bid to become the nation’s top health official could depend on how staunchly he sticks to these personal beliefs during questioning. He has already softened some of his long-held views. He’s facing some skepticism from the public, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only about 3 in 10 US adults approve of President Donald Trump nominating him to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while about one-quarter are either neutral or don’t know enough to say. But he has points of strength, too. Trump’s choice of Kennedy is especially popular among Republicans: About 6 in 10 approve, compared to about 1 in 10 Democrats. And while many Americans disagree with some of Kennedy’s controversial health stances — including beliefs around reevaluating childhood vaccine recommendations and changing guidelines around fluoride in drinking water and raw milk consumption — some of his other stances, like reformulating processed foods, are broadly popular. Here’s what AP-NORC polling shows about which of Kennedy’s priorities are likely to be popular among U.S. adults and which might be less well-received. More oppose than support reevaluating widely used vaccines Kennedy has long been a vaccine skeptic, and he and Trump have falsely claimed that childhood vaccines are dangerous and tied to rising autism rates. His opposition to vaccines is broad, and he has said that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” AP-NORC polling suggests that reevaluating vaccine recommendations would be unpopular with many Americans. About 4 in 10 Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose reconsidering the government’s recommendations around widely used vaccines, like the flu vaccine, and about 3 in 10 are in favor. Another 3 in 10 Americans, roughly, are neutral. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to favor reconsidering government recommendations for widely used vaccines, although their support isn’t overwhelming. About 4 in 10 Republicans favor reevaluating vaccine recommendations, compared with about 2 in 10 Democrats. Wide support for restrictions on ingredients in processed foods One of Kennedy’s ideas is popular across the board: getting some chemicals out of processed foods. Kennedy has vowed to ban certain food additives and crack down on ultra-processed foods that are tied to obesity and diabetes rates. About two-thirds of Americans “somewhat” or “strongly” favor restricting or reformulating processed foods to remove ingredients like added sugar or dyes. This is an area where Democrats and Republicans agree: About 7 in 10 in each group favor the restrictions. Support is particularly high among U.S. adults with a higher household income, though research from the National Institutes of Health has indicated that ultra-processed foods are consumed at higher rates in low-income groups. Roughly 8 in 10 adults with a household income of $100,000 or more per year support the restrictions, compared with about half of Americans with a household income of $30,000 or less. More oppose than support removing raw milk restrictions Kennedy indicated before the election that he would be keen to end the Food and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of raw milk. The FDA and the Centers for Disease […]