Poll: RFK Jr.'s food agenda finds appeal across partisan lines, but vaccines are a different story

New polling about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

New polling about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and elements of his policy agenda shows how his “Make America Healthy Again” push doesn't break down along the same neat partisan lines as other issues, creating some political vulnerability and some opportunity.

A significant majority of U.S. adults support using vaccines to prevent diseases, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents, according to the NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey. And the share of people who believe vaccines are most to blame for chronic health issues is small, two dynamics that are at odds with Kennedy's repeated efforts to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Kennedy has long spread misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines. As health secretary, he recently dismantled the country's premier group of vaccine experts — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent committee of vaccine advisers — and replaced former members with several well-known vaccine skeptics.

The poll results suggest those actions don't resonate with the majority of adults.

But Kennedy's focus on overhauling the nation's intake of ultraprocessed food — a key part of his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda — is an issue many adults can get behind.