An organization that former Vice President Mike Pence founded has launched a pressure campaign to convince Republican senators to reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to become President Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services.
Pence — who served as Trump’s vice president in his first term — is opposed to RFK Jr. due to his previous support for abortion.
“Whatever the merits of RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again initiative—indeed, whatever other qualities a nominee might possess—an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,” Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman and Board Chairman Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff, wrote in a letter to senators.
“While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,” they wrote.
This marks the second formal effort by Pence and his organization to block Kennedy’s confirmation. Shortly after Trump announced Kennedy’s nomination, Pence issued a statement urging senators to reject him due to his past support for abortion, The Hill reported.
Kennedy, who initially launched a 2024 presidential campaign as a Democrat, had endorsed a ban on abortion after the first trimester but soon backtracked. He also expressed opposition to banning abortion before fetal viability, generally around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
On his campaign website, Kennedy said he is “a firm supporter of the principles laid out 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade” and that “if the courts do not overturn Dobbs v. Jackson and restore abortion rights, he will support legislation to accomplish the same.”
GOP senators appear unfazed by his past statements and have largely supported Kennedy after meeting with him. And Kennedy has been attempting to reassure Republicans by stating that his personal views are irrelevant and that he will implement all the anti-abortion policies from the first Trump administration.
Trump has consistently stated that abortion access should be determined by individual states as per the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Roe v. Wade ruling. During the campaign, he presented himself as a moderate on the issue.
However, Pence, a staunch religious conservative, has increasingly criticized his former boss on policy matters, particularly abortion. Pence previously described Trump’s stance as a “slap in the face” to those opposed to abortion.
All said, Pence said he “welcomed” his interaction with Trump at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral last week as the two shook hands.
The service’s broadcast featured several memorable moments, including former President George W. Bush playfully tapping former President Barack Obama on the stomach and a notable conversation between Obama and Trump within earshot of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The event also spotlighted a handshake and a brief exchange between Trump and Pence, drawing considerable attention.
It was the first time the two met and spoke since January 6, 2021, when thousands of MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol, and Pence ignored Trump’s wishes by certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory, the Washington Times reported.
“The opportunity to speak to the president yesterday is something that I appreciated, I welcomed,” Pence told Christianity Today Editor-in-Chief Russell Moore for a podcast episode slated to air Wednesday.
“I’ve really been blessed at how much I’ve heard from people around the country who saw [our] handshake and, in that handshake, saw some hope that we might be moving past those difficult days,” he continued. “That’s certainly my hope.”
However, not everyone used the Carter funeral as an opportunity to resolve past grievances.
Pence’s wife, Karen, refused to even acknowledge Donald and Melania Trump.
