Pence slams DeSantis over potential RFK Jr. pick for CDC, FDA

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday took a dig at Republican rival Ron DeSantis over comments the Florida governor made suggesting he would consider appointing Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Food and Drug Administration.

"When I am President, I will only consider Pro-Life Americans to lead FDA, CDC, or HHS. To be clear, pro-abortion Democrats like RFK, Jr. would not even make the list," Pence tweeted in response to a post condemning DeSantis's comments.

During an interview with Clay Travis, DeSantis fielded a question on the prospect of choosing the Democrat as a running mate. While he rejected the idea, he expressed openness to a health-related appointment for Kennedy in light of their shared views of COVID-19.

"Yes, the medical stuff, I'm very good on that. So that does appeal to me," DeSantis said. "If you're president, sic him on the FDA if he'd be willing to serve. Or sic him on CDC."

Kennedy has attracted considerable attention from Republicans who sympathize with his views on the pandemic and vaccines. The Democrat is seeking to unseat President Joe Biden as his party's nominee for president in 2024.

The former vice president currently polls in fourth place for the Republican nomination in the RealClearPolitics polling average. Former President Donald Trump, DeSantis, and tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy stand ahead of him.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.