President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has selected Harmeet Dhillon, a former health official in Trump’s first administration and a top Trump supporter, to be chief of staff to Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. . A new report was presented on Monday.
According to Politico, attorney Heather Frick, who held several senior positions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the first Trump administration, has been working closely with President Kennedy in recent weeks as his unofficial chief of staff. The paper added on Monday that he had been named by President Trump’s transition team to the permanent role, four people familiar with the matter said. This announcement has not yet been made public.
Meanwhile, the law firm that currently employs Frick and its founder congratulated her on her new role on their social media accounts this week. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for confirmation, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Macomb Community College on November 1, 2024 in Warren, Michigan. (Getty Images)
Mr. Frick’s selection for the job in the second Trump administration is just the latest in a long list of Trump supporters who have been given jobs within the administration during the second term. When Frick first joined the Trump administration, she served as acting general counsel for HHS, then acting administrator, and eventually senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
Before joining HHS for the first time, Mr. Frick was an attorney with the Dillon Law Group. Mr. Dillon founded the office, and President Trump nominated him to serve as assistant attorney general.
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Mr. Dillon has represented clients in major conservative civil rights cases and defended Trump supporters in court. During the pandemic, she challenged Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders, and in 2020 she co-chaired Lawyers for Trump, a conservative lawyer group that supported Trump during the 2020 campaign. served as Most recently, Mr. Dillon served as President Trump’s election integrity team leader in Arizona during the 2024 election.
President-elect Donald Trump (right) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are both being targeted by the DNC. (Getty Images)
“Heather Frick is an outstanding individual who will undoubtedly assist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the near future,” the statement said following news of Frick’s new role. , former Trump aide Michael Flynn said in a post on X.
Mr. Frick’s appointment has been criticized by some of Mr. Kennedy’s allies, saying that Mr. Frick is not entirely aligned with President Trump’s world and may instead advance an agenda centered on Mr. Kennedy’s priorities. Politico reported that the meeting was held amid rumors that.
The health department secretary candidate has recently been meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to drum up support. Both Democrats and Republicans have been highly critical of the Health Department secretary nominee’s views on vaccines, while Republicans have also grilled Kennedy during meetings about his past pro-choice views on abortion.
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President-elect Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (right) meets with the office of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) in the Senate Building on December 17, 2024 in Washington. ). DC (Getty Images)
Kennedy’s critics have questioned his ability to deal with major crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and accused him of promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines, antidepressants and more. It is claimed that there is. Meanwhile, business leaders have also suggested they have reason to be concerned, citing Kennedy’s past claims about the dangers of food additives, pesticides and vaccines.
Mr. Frick will help Mr. Kennedy dispel some of these criticisms. One former Food and Drug Administration official, who was authorized to speak publicly on condition of anonymity, told Politico that depending on how involved the HHS secretary is in Food and Drug Administration operations, the chief of staff may be “in a very deep position.” He said there is a possibility that he will become involved.
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“If she’s a competent chief of staff, she could be very involved in very high-profile matters,” the former official added. “I’ve certainly seen that happen across multiple administrations.”
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