U.S. adults have mixed views of the job that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is doing as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. But their views lean more negative than positive:
- 43% say they strongly or somewhat disapprove of how Kennedy is handling his job.
- 36% say they strongly or somewhat approve.
- 21% aren’t sure.
Strong disapproval of Kennedy’s job performance also exceeds strong approval. Three-in-ten Americans strongly disapprove of how Kennedy is handling his job, while 16% strongly approve.
Since being sworn in as health secretary in February, Kennedy has cut 10,000 jobs at U.S. health agencies, encouraged states to ban fluoride in drinking water, and sought to address a measles outbreak in Texas, among other actions.
The Center survey was conducted from April 28 to May 4, after Kennedy took each of those actions. We asked about Kennedy’s performance as part of a broader series of questions about health-related topics.
Party differences
Democrats and Republicans have different views of Kennedy’s job performance to date.
Around seven-in-ten Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party (72%) disapprove of the job Kennedy is doing, compared with 14% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Conversely, 66% of Republicans approve of the job he’s doing, compared with just 9% of Democrats.
Looking at ideology as well as political party, liberal Democrats are the most likely to disapprove of Kennedy’s job performance. More than eight-in-ten (83%) disapprove, compared with 64% of moderate or conservative Democrats. Meanwhile, conservative Republicans are more likely than moderate or liberal Republicans to approve of Kennedy’s job performance (74% vs. 52%).
In both parties, people with more moderate ideological views are more likely to say they’re not sure how they feel about Kennedy’s performance.
Age differences within each party
In each party, attitudes about Kennedy vary by age.
Democrats ages 50 and older are more likely than those under 50 to disapprove of Kennedy’s performance (79% vs. 67%). By comparison, Republicans ages 50 and older are more likely than their younger GOP counterparts to approve of it (71% vs. 60%).
Younger adults in both parties are more likely than older adults to say they’re not sure about Kennedy’s job performance.
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