RFK Jr. says he is not running for president in 2028

RFK Jr. pulls $500M vaccine funding, speaks in Alaska

The Department of Health and Human Services says they will cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines that are being created to fight respiratory viruses. LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft has the latest updates from the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he has no plans to launch a 2028 White House bid, pushing back against speculation and attacks from conservative activist Laura Loomer.

"Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028. My loyalty is to President Trump and the mission we’ve started," Kennedy said Friday in a post on X.

Rumors of a future run have been fueled by Loomer and moves made by a Kennedy-aligned super PAC, raising questions about whether the onetime Democratic presidential candidate might be positioning himself for another campaign.

RFK Jr. says loyalty is to Trump, not a 2028 campaign

The backstory:

Kennedy ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat before becoming an independent and eventually dropping out to endorse Trump. Trump later tapped him to lead HHS, aiming to harness Kennedy’s large following in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.

In his social media post, Kennedy said his focus remains on ending what he calls the nation’s "chronic disease epidemic" — a core MAHA priority carried over from his campaign platform.

"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 used his post to defend deputy chief of staff Stefanie Spear, a longtime aide who served as his campaign’s principal communications staffer. Loomer has accused Spear of leveraging her HHS role to prepare for a 2028 campaign — a charge Kennedy dismissed.

FILE - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services secretary, speaks at the White House as President Donald Trump looks on. Kennedy on Friday denied speculation that he’s planning a 2028 presidential run, saying his loyalty remains with Trump. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Spear joined a call last month hosted by Tony Lyons, co-chair of the primary super PAC that backed Kennedy in 2024, Axios reported. The call was billed as a way to mobilize grassroots supporters.

The other side:

On Tuesday, Loomer told POLITICO she was concerned about Spear’s role in the agency, accusing her of plotting a Kennedy comeback bid. She previously led a pressure campaign that helped oust Vinay Prasad, a vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, before White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reinstated him this week.

Kennedy did not name Loomer in his post but said attacks on his staff are "proof we’re over the target."

What's next:

While Kennedy has ruled out a 2028 run for now, some of his allies appear to be keeping the option open. His supporters and aligned PACs have continued organizing grassroots networks that could be tapped in the future.