'My dad's not a quitter!' RFK Jr's job hangs by a thread as Trump eyes replacement

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be out of a job sooner rather than later, with President Donald Trump reportedly having already selected his successor.

As part of a report on the president pressuring the controversial Cabinet member to ramp up studies linking childhood vaccines to autism, with the president thinking he is not "doing his job," the Wall Street Journal is reporting this might be the beginning of the end for Kennedy.

According to the Journal, Trump has already begun grooming Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, as Kennedy's potential replacement. White House insiders and HHS staff privately speculate Oz will eventually take over — potentially after the midterm elections, a "traditional time" for cabinet reshuffles.

"The president often calls or texts Oz on health policy matters that have nothing to do with his agency, people familiar with the matter said, and Oz takes responsibility for ensuring the president gets what he wants," the report notes before adding, "Oz advised the president on marijuana ahead of an executive order in December to loosen restrictions on the drug, some of the people said. Oz, an adept surrogate for the administration on TV and in the halls of Congress, is also a favorite of the White House staff.

As for Kennedy, he has been under scrutiny for months. Last winter, White House aides launched a "top-to-bottom review" of his department management, citing infighting between HHS and the FDA. Two top leaders were reassigned, and Kennedy's advisory team was restructured.

The MAHA movement erupted in chaos this summer when rumors of Kennedy's imminent departure spread across social media. Dr. Robert Malone, a Kennedy associate, posted on X that Kennedy would leave after July 4 and that Oz was heading a transition team.

Oz himself appeared at an exclusive gathering near the White House to insist the story was false, the Journal is reporting.

Kennedy's son, Robert F. Kennedy III, reportedly exclaiming to attendees, "My dad's not a quitter!"

The report notes that Kennedy wants to "survive" and "even to stay on as secretary into the next president’s administration, according to people familiar with his thinking."