DeSantis floats Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo as candidate for Trump's HHS secretary
Following Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the US presidential election, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is positioning his controversial surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, as a potential addition to Trump’s incoming administration.
On Wednesday afternoon, DeSantis took to X (formerly Twitter) to float the idea of Ladapo leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Retweet if you’d like to see this man — Dr. Joseph Ladapo — serve as the secretary of HHS in the new Trump administration,” DeSantis wrote.
The post has earned thousands of retweets and amassed more than 1 million views.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis was one of the many people who endorsed her husband's idea by retweeting the post.
On the heels of Trump's decisive 2024 presidential election victory, DeSantis declared Wednesday on X that Trump "not only earned a sweeping electoral victory, he earned a mandate for change."
Ladapo tweeted on Wednesday, "The future of health freedom looks brighter today. Just as in Florida, it’s time to say ‘No’ to trampling on people’s rights, to gaslighting citizens about experimental vaccines that harm instead of help & to muzzling doctors who dissent with orthodoxy. Light triumphs over darkness."
Dr. Ladapo, who was appointed as Florida’s surgeon general in September 2021, rose to prominence for his outspoken views against pandemic-related restrictions, including lockdowns, mask mandates, and COVID-19 vaccines.
The Nigerian-born Harvard Medical School graduate’s appointment was confirmed by the Florida Senate in February 2022.
Before serving as Florida’s top health official, Ladapo was an associate professor at UCLA’s School of Medicine.
During his tenure, Ladapo has been a polarizing figure. He has clashed with public health authorities over vaccine safety and was criticized for threatening TV stations with potential criminal charges for airing ads supporting Amendment 4—a measure aimed at protecting abortion rights in Florida’s constitution.
Ladapo recommends against using mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Florida Department of Health.
"Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General advises against the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines," the department noted in a September press release. "Any provider concerned
about the health risks associated with COVID-19 for patients over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions should prioritize patient access to non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and treatment."
Ladapo asserted in a September tweet that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration "are gaslighting Americans with their new, unproven COVID-19 boosters, and recommend them for 6 month-old babies!
"We say bring data, acknowledge serious safety concerns & acknowledge the many people who believe they've been injured by these vaccines," Ladapo added.
Earlier this year, amid a measles outbreak, Ladapo defied federal guidance by allowing parents to decide whether to vaccinate their children or keep them home to mitigate the spread of the highly contagious disease.
DeSantis’s social media post came amid reports that Ladapo is also being considered for a key role in Trump’s health team by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine activist expected to play a significant role in shaping Trump’s federal health appointments.
The Washington Post recently revealed that Ladapo might also be on the shortlist for U.S. surgeon general, a position that serves as the nation’s leading spokesperson on public health matters.
The HHS oversees several crucial health agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
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