Trump nominates Jay Bhattacharya, lockdown critic, to lead National Institutes of Health

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of COVID-19 lockdowns, to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, which argued that lockdowns caused significant harm. Bhattacharya will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for the Department of Health and Human Services. This appointment reflects ongoing debates about public health policies from the pandemic era. Trump also announced Jim O’Neill as deputy secretary of HHS, marking a shift towards candidates with prior government experience. Bhattacharya's nomination requires Senate approval.