PHOENIX – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.., a prominent defender of debunked public health claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put in charge health initiativesHe said Saturday that Trump would push to eliminate fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by Replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear.according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

kennedy made the statement on social media platform X along with a variety of claims about the health effects of fluoride.

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise the entire United States. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to make America healthy again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.

It was unclear whether Kennedy discussed Saturday’s post with Trump or his aides. The Trump campaign did not respond directly and a Kennedy spokesperson did not respond when asked.

“While President Trump has received a variety of policy ideas, he is focused on Tuesday’s election,” said Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign.

But the sudden and unexpected weekend social media post evoked the chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s tenure in the White House, when he issued political statements on Twitter at virtually all hours. He also highlighted the concerns that many experts have about Kennedy, who has Discredited theories long promoted. on the safety of vaccines, influencing American public health.

In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent cavities and continued to promote it even after fluoridated toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Although fluoride can come from several sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.

officials lowered its recommendation of fluoride levels in drinking water in 2015 to address a dental condition called fluorosis, which can cause stains on teeth and was becoming more common in American children.

In August, a federal agency certain “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.

A federal judge later cited that study in order to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it is not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in children, but concluded that growing research points to a risk. unreasonable for it to be so. It ordered the EPA to take steps to reduce that risk, but did not say what those steps should be.

In his X post on Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiff in that lawsuit, the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch.

Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization has a pending lawsuit against news organizations, including The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking steps to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy is on leave from the group but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

It is still unclear what role Kennedy might play if Trump wins on Tuesday. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.

But for now, the former independent presidential candidate has emerged as one of Trump’s top surrogates. Trump frequently mentions that he has the support of Kennedy, the scion of a Democratic dynasty and son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy traveled with Trump on Friday and spoke at his rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy, “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want,” except oil policy.

“She wants health, she wants women’s health, she wants men’s health, she wants children, she wants it all,” Trump added.