RFK Jr. won’t run for president in 2028, citing commitment to MAHA, Trump

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will not run for president in 2028, shutting down speculation he could mount another campaign. Instead, he pledged his full support to President Donald Trump.

Kennedy, who spearheads the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, made the declaration in a post on X. He dismissed claims about his political future as part of a smear effort by Washington insiders.

“They’re pushing the flat-out lie that I’m running for president in 2028. Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028,” Kennedy said.

The HHS secretary added that his loyalty is to Trump.

“The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic – and that’s exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office,” Kennedy wrote.

Kennedy was a presidential candidate in 2024, first running as a Democrat before launching an independent bid. He suspended his campaign in August 2024 and endorsed Trump.

Following Trump’s victory, Kennedy was nominated and confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

His announcement comes after speculation his allies were preparing the groundwork for a 2028 campaign.

Axios reported in July that Kennedy super PAC head Tony Lyons and HHS aide Stefanie Spear held a call with MAHA supporters, making some participants think Kennedy was weighing another run.

Right-wing activist Laura Loomer also alleged in a Politico interview that Spear was using her position inside HHS to help Kennedy politically.

Kennedy rejected the claims as false. He said his focus will remain on implementing Trump’s health agenda, not his political ambitions.

The secretary has been a central figure in Trump’s push to reform health policy, including the relaunch of the “Presidential Fitness Test” in schools.

At a White House event in July, Kennedy stood beside Trump as the president signed the executive order restarting the program.

“You had to do sit ups, you had to do pull ups, a shuttle run, you had to do one-mile runs, and they awarded the top 15% with a badge and with recognition and with a certificate,” Kennedy said at the time. “And for me, it was a huge item of pride when I was growing up.

“We need to re-instill that spirit of competition and that spirit and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness. And I’m so grateful to President Trump for your leadership and bringing this back for our country.”