"Incredible things"

Trump celebrates lavish victory night at Mar-a-Lago

Trump dances back towards the White House on his euphoric wave of victory.

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/JOE RAEDLE)

Now that Trump wants to put the fate of the United States in the hands of extreme hardliners, he took time on Thursday to celebrate his election victory in style. In addition to his permanent guest Elon Musk, a Hollywood celebrity was also present this time.

In the latest sensational appointment for his cabinet, US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccination campaigner and propagator of conspiracy theories, as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"I think you're going to do some incredible things," Trump said to Kennedy during a gala event at his Mar-a-Lago residence in the US state of Florida on Thursday. Argentina's President Javier Milei was among those in attendance.

Trump pays homage to vaccination opponent who is supposed to manage health
Billionaire Elon Musk, who holds a government office, and Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone also attended. Commenting on Kennedy's nomination on his online platform Truth Social, Trump said that for far too long, US citizens had been "oppressed by the food industrial complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health".

In contrast to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone is completely on Trump's side.

(Bild: APA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/JOE RAEDLE)

Since Trump's election victory, Musk has been a permanent guest at Mar-a-Lago - he is already being referred to as the shadow president.

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/JOE RAEDLE)

Hardliners among themselves: the highly controversial future ministers Matt Gaetz (center) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right).

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Alex Brandon)

Kennedy will head the Department of Health and Human Services, which is supposed to protect US citizens from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides and harmful pharmaceutical products.

Highly controversial personnel decisions
Kennedy's nomination is one in a series of controversial personnel decisions by Trump, who has presented a number of candidates for important ministerial posts in recent days whose suitability appears questionable. The 70-year-old scion of the famous Kennedy dynasty has made headlines in the past with abstruse claims and stories.

The nominations must be approved by the US Senate. Trump's Republican Party has held the majority of seats there again since the congressional elections on November 5.

Conspiracy theories now acceptable?
The US health authorities have become "puppets of the industry they are supposed to regulate", explained Kennedy in a recently published video. His top priority would be to "clean up the public health authorities". Kennedy, who has no scientific training for the health department, spread conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccines developed in the USA during the coronavirus pandemic.

He also caused controversy by opposing the continued addition of fluoride to drinking water in the USA - a measure against tooth decay that is seen as a major achievement in the USA. At the beginning of August, he caused a stir with the story that he had picked up a dead black bear from the street ten years ago and then dumped it in Central Park in New York.

Milei: "Greatest political comeback in history"
Argentina's head of state Milei called Trump's re-election as US president the "greatest political comeback in history". Trump had defied the "entire political establishment" by "risking his life", said Milei in Florida. Milei posed for photos with the US President-elect and Musk, whom Trump has appointed as head of a new efficiency department. He is the first foreign head of state Trump has met since his re-election.

Action star Stallone called Trump a "mythical figure" in Mar-a-Lago. Trump himself joked about the omnipresent Musk: "He likes this place, I can't take him away from here."