Learn English Language: RFK Jr. now runs US health: genius or misguided?
Is America about to shake up its entire health system? With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stepping into a powerful government role, big changes could be on the way. But why is he such a controversial figure? And what does his appointment mean for food safety, vaccines, and healthcare in the US?
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In today’s episode, we explore RFK Jr.’s surprising political journey, his bold views on health, and why some see him as a fearless reformer while others dismiss him as a conspiracy theorist. You’ll hear useful political vocabulary, real-world English expressions, and fascinating insights into the power struggles shaping American politics.
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More About This Lesson
Have you ever wondered how one appointment can reshape a nation’s health policy? Today’s world politics episode explores Donald Trump’s surprising moves and the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a key player in US health policy.
Today we explain words like "divisive" and "controversial" using clear, real-world examples that make complex ideas simple.
Our English listening practice lesson will help:
- You listen to real English in clear, natural conversation.
- You build vocabulary with words used in everyday life.
- You learn word pronunciation by hearing them spelled out.
- You understand idioms and common expressions in context.
- You see clear, active sentences that boost your fluency.
- You engage with current topics that spark your interest.
- You gain cultural insights from discussions on real news.
This discussion not only unpacks current US politics but also offers an immersive listening experience designed to help improve your English.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What useful vocabulary does this lesson introduce? You learn words like divisive, Marmite, controversial, declassify, and vested interest. These terms help you discuss politics and health in a real-world context while improving your British English fluency.
- How does this lesson support your British English fluency? You listen to natural speech and real-life examples that show how British English speakers talk about current political and health issues. This approach makes the language feel alive and helps you pick up phrases and pronunciation easily.
- Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he important here? You learn about RFK Jr as a key figure who sparks discussion on modern politics and health. His controversial role in the Trump administration provides a rich context for understanding and using new vocabulary in everyday conversations.
- Why are current political topics useful for language learning? You connect with fresh, relevant material when discussing figures like Donald Trump and RFK Jr. This exposure helps you understand contemporary language, making it easier to talk about news and politics in British English.
- How can you use the lesson’s vocabulary in daily conversation? You apply these new words and ideas by discussing news stories and political debates with friends or in study groups. Using practical examples makes your speech more natural and boosts your confidence in British English.
Most Unusual Words:
- Divisive: Causing people to disagree and split into groups.
- Controversial: Causing strong arguments or debates.
- Declassify: To remove a secret status and make information public.
- Autocratic: Using power without listening to others.
- Stringent: Very strict or demanding.
- Ultra-processed: Food that has been changed a lot from its natural form.
- Vested interest: A strong personal benefit in something.
- Conspiracy: A secret plan by a group to do something wrong.
- Pre-emptive: Done before something happens to stop it.
- Bioweapons: Dangerous germs or toxins used as weapons.
Most Frequently Used Words:
| Word | Count |
|---|---|
| Kennedy | 14 |
| People | 10 |
| Trump | 9 |
| Health | 8 |
| Which | 8 |
| Interesting | 7 |
| Robert | 7 |
| Podcast | 6 |
| About | 6 |
Listen To The Audio Lesson Now
Transcript: English listening practice with Health News Stories
Trump in the White House means a different world
Hi there and welcome to this podcast from Adept English. I like to cover news but I don't usually do world politics. But what a week it's been for world politics! With Donald Trump in the White House there's been a different news story every day about what he's planning to do. Some of it is appalling to many people around the world. Some of it isn't surprising and some of it is very surprising. Donald Trump is what's known as a 'divisive figure'. D-I-V-I-S-I-V-E meaning that he 'divides opinion'. Or another way of saying this in British English, Donald Trump is 'Marmite'. People either really love him or hate him. But today let's look at one aspect of internal politics in the United States under Trump. Some really great vocabulary for politics and health today. And an interesting story as well.
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So this week governments across the world are finding that they have to do business with Donald Trump. There's no choice but to have a relationship with him. So there are huge changes in world politics at the moment because of Donald Trump. Like him or loathe him, you cannot ignore him. But today let's focus on one of the people that Trump has chosen to play an important role in his government. That person is Robert F Kennedy Jr.
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Controversial Appointments in the Trump Administration
Obviously our attention has been on the foreign politics of Trump and America but it's also interesting to have a look at some of the internal politics and the plans for government inside America. Again, you might think some of it is horrific, some of it is surprising and some of it is interesting. Many of the people that Trump has chosen to appoint as his main team for the important roles in government, well, they're controversial figures, controversial people. 'Controversial' means they 'create controversy, they create disagreement'.
And none is more so than the appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Otherwise known as RFK Jr for short, he was confirmed last week by 52 votes to 48 in the Senate. Quite close then. So RFK Jr is the nephew of John F Kennedy or JFK, the US president who was shot, assassinated in 1963. Also assassinated this time in 1968, Robert Francis Kennedy, JFK's brother and the father of RFK Jr. Robert F Kennedy was at the time running to be chosen as the Democratic candidate for the presidency. Can you imagine being part of that family? RFK Jr is accused of being a 'conspiracy theorist' - someone who promotes theories which are thought to be untrue and somewhat paranoid. I would have thought it's actually difficult not to be a conspiracy theorist if you're part of the Kennedy family and that's what you've lived through, both uncle and father assassinated in the context of politics. And I think there are some conspiracy theories which actually turn out to be true!
Will we find out more about JFK’s assassination, 1963?
Reputedly, one of the conditions that RFK Jr has made to Donald Trump in agreeing to work for him that the official government files associated with the assassination of President John F Kennedy be declassified. And President Trump promised as part of his election campaign, "When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination related documents. It's been 60 years - time for the American people to know the truth!" And Trump has now ordered that declassification, not only for JFK but also for Robert Kennedy Sr and for the assassination of Martin Luther King. So 'to declassify' means 'to remove that top secret status' and hopefully make the information public. That means we get to hear about it. This is going to be interesting!
Is Trump really going to Make America Healthy Again?
So Robert F Kennedy Jr is going to be making big changes to US policy on food and drugs as part of so-called MAHA, M-A-H-A, 'Make America Healthy Again' This echoes Trump's stated purpose, MAGA or 'Make America Great Again'. So RFK Jr will oversee health insurance programmes, vaccine recommendations and food safety. He'll be in charge of the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, the NIH or National Institute of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That is a huge brief and huge responsibility.
But the former director of the National Institute of Health, one of those bodies that RFK Jr will now direct, this is Dr Harold Varmus. He said that RFK Jr "Is not fit to run a nearly three trillion dollar operation. This is a blow in my view to the success of American medical science". Quite a strong opinion then. So who is RFK Jr and why is he so controversial?
Who is Robert Kennedy Junior and why has he been chosen?
RFK Jr himself ran for the White House, ran to be President in 2024 as an independent, but subsequently he backed out and 'endorsed' or supported Trump. RFK Jr is 71 years old and has had a varied life. He was obviously born into this well-known Kennedy family and his history is largely as a lawyer and environmentalist, someone battling in the interests of nature, in other words. He has a reputation for his legal battles, challenging large organisations and sometimes winning his case. For example, against the American agricultural industry and their use of weed killer on cereal crops. Many of RFK Jr's legal actions were successful.
RFK Jr, the Anti-vaxxer?
But much of the controversy surrounds RFK Jr's viewpoint on vaccines, V-A-C-C-I-N-E. He's known as an anti-vaxxer, that's anti-V-A-X-X-E-R, meaning 'someone who disagrees with the value of vaccination'. This term is sometimes used to instantly dismiss and discredit someone as being 'a bit crazy' and not worth listening to if they are not 100% in favour of vaccination. However, what RFK Jr actually says is things like "There is no such thing as a safe and effective vaccine". Actually what he means here is there's always going to be an issue with the safety of vaccines for a small minority of people who take them. They're never entirely risk-free, in other words. This is an unpopular statement with governments who want people to comply with vaccine programmes. But technically RFK Jr is correct. A small number of people are harmed by vaccines. It's a matter of balancing benefit and risk.
So Kennedy has denied that he's an anti-vaxxer, pointing out that his own children and grandchildren are all vaccinated. He insists that he merely supports more stringent studies, more careful studies and safety tests for vaccinations. More holding the pharmaceutical industry to account, in other words, which is harder to see as crazy given how much money is made out of vaccination programmes.
RFJ Jr - COVID Conspiracy Theorist
Other beliefs of RFK Jr which are thought to be crazy, are contained in his book 'The Real Anthony Fauci'. Here RFK Jr describes how he believes Covid was a byproduct of a secret US bioweapons program run by the National Institute for Health or NIH in Wuhan, China. It sounds the stuff of conspiracy theories. And yet it's interesting that no one has attempted to sue SUE - take Kennedy to court about the content of his book. I also find it really interesting that Anthony Fauci was granted a pre-emptive pardon by Joe Biden before Biden left office. That means that Anthony Fauci is exempt from court action. He cannot be prosecuted for his activities between 2014 and 2024. Why does Fauci need that, I wonder? It feels as though we've not got to the bottom of all this yet. This is why RFK Jr is seen as a bit crazy by some people. But I think we may get to know more about this in due course.
What does the Make American Healthy Again programme actually mean for the Food Industry?
What Robert F Kennedy Jr is really wanting to focus on is the health crisis in America, the obesity epidemic, the rise in diabetes. Obesity, O-B-E-S-I-T-Y, is the condition of being very overweight in a way that threatens your health and it's a huge problem in the US. Many Republicans have praised Kennedy for his criticisms of the use of food additives and his thoughts on ultra-processed foods, which I've also talked about in podcast episodes, namely 665 and 768 if you want to listen to those. Also, if you recall my podcast on the list of junk foods named by the UK government whose advertising is banned during children's television, that's podcast 788. Well, RFK Jr is thinking in the same way. Great, I say!
RFK Jr also wants to challenge dyes D-Y-E - colourings in children's food, many of which are banned by other countries but still used in America. Basically, RFK Jr wants to take on the food industry in the US, or 'Big Food' as it's known. He wants to reduce the amount of processed food, which can't be seen as mad or crazy. This needs to be done to improve the health of the country. The American diet is currently estimated to be 60 to 70% processed food.
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What does the Make American Healthy Again programme actually mean for the Pharma Industry?
Kennedy also wants to curb 'Big Pharma'. He believes that the pharmaceutical companies make their billions, often through overemphasising, the positives of the drugs and the drug trials, and that sometimes cheaper and more natural alternatives could be better. RFK makes very sensible criticism of the way that regulation, R-E-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N, rule making around food safety and drugs happens in the US. He thinks it's overly influenced by these billion dollar industries, Big Food and Big Pharma. And particularly with Pharma, dangerously, it's often the same people moving between being employed by the regulator and then employed by the industry or vice versa. This is what's known as 'vested interest'. Surely it's not crazy to want to reform that?
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But isn’t Trump pro-business?
But RFK Jr is perhaps going to have some difficulty here working against the interest of industry, especially big industries which contribute lots of money to the American government. It's perhaps only with the backing of a president like Trump, who is fairly autocratic in his style, that RFK Jr may actually succeed. RFK Jr is well placed to take on the big players in industry. He's used to being the underdog, U-N-D-E-R-D-O-G. For years as a lawyer and as Professor of Environmental Law, he fought and won against big companies who were polluting the Hudson River in New York state. And he succeeded in getting the Hudson River cleaned up, one amongst lots of similar achievements. So RFK Jr is not afraid of a 'David and Goliath' situation. Let's hope that RFK from a traditionally Democratic family can keep Trump's support and actually achieve some of what he's setting out to do.
Goodbye
It's going to be interesting to watch, that's for sure. Let us know what you think on this really interesting topic.
Enough for now. Have a lovely day. Speak to you again soon. Goodbye.
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