Controversial picks such as Matt Gaetz and Robert F Kennedy Jr will face hurdles even in a Republican-controlled Senate

I will never forget watching that crowd make its way toward Capitol Hill. Trump didn’t invent this capacity to cast the law aside to cling to power, but it was a parade he was glad to lead.

This week President-elect Donald Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services.The nomination comes after Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild on health” during the campaign.Kennedy holds a number of controversial opinions on health, and promotes a number of scientifically debunked claims like vaccines cause autism, fluoride is poisoning the public water system and AIDS isn’t caused by the HIV virus.Kennedy has long wanted to remake health and healthcare policy in the United States. Soon, he may get his chance. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.