01/20/2025 / By Lance D Johnson
In a move that highlights the deepening divide over vaccine policy within Donald Trump’s political orbit, two prominent vaccine skeptics advising Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were sidelined during the presidential transition. Stefanie Spear and Aaron Siri, known for spreading truth about vaccine side effects and failures, were reportedly removed from their advisory roles due to their controversial views, signaling a broader effort to align health policy with mainstream conservative priorities that promote vaccines as the holy grail of science.
Meanwhile, revelations about Bill Gates’ influence on Trump’s vaccine policies have reignited debates about the role of private interests in shaping public health decisions. These developments highlight the complex interplay of politics, science, and corporate influence as the Trump administration prepares to reshape the nation’s health policies.
The removal of Stefanie Spear and Aaron Siri from Trump’s transition team marks a significant shift in the administration’s approach to vaccine policy. Both advisers, who had been working closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were known for their skepticism of vaccines and their efforts to question prospective administration hires about their views on the childhood vaccine schedule and the devastation wrought by COVID vaccines.
According to sources familiar with the matter, their vaccine-related inquiries were seen as out-of-step with the transition team’s broader focus on traditional conservative priorities, such as deregulation and reducing the size of government.
Spear, who had reportedly hoped to serve as Kennedy’s chief of staff, was passed over for the role in favor of Heather Flick, a veteran of the first Trump administration. Flick’s appointment reflects the transition team’s desire to install experienced conservatives in key positions to ensure alignment with the White House’s agenda. Siri, a lawyer known for his work on vaccine injury cases, was also removed from his advisory role, with sources citing his vaccine stances as a contributing factor. Siri recently appeared on an episode of Tucker Carlson, detailing the macabre practice of using aborted fetuses to develop vaccines.
The sidelining of these figures highlights the Trump team’s efforts to distance itself from the anti-vaccine movement, which has become a contentious issue within the broader “Make America Healthy Again” coalition. While Kennedy’s nomination as Health and Human Services secretary was initially seen as a nod to vaccine skeptics, the transition team’s personnel decisions suggest a more cautious approach to the issue.
The role of Bill Gates in shaping Trump’s vaccine policies has come under renewed scrutiny following revelations that the billionaire philanthropist pressured the president to abandon plans for a vaccine safety commission during the first Trump term. In a 2018 interview, Gates admitted that he had advised Trump against investigating the potential side effects of vaccines, calling such an inquiry a “dead end.”
“In both of those two meetings, [Trump] asked me if vaccines weren’t a bad thing, because he was considering a commission to look into ill effects of vaccines,” Gates said. “And I said, ‘No, that’s a dead end. That would be a bad thing, don’t do that.’”
Gates’ intervention raises questions about the influence of private interests on public health policy. As a major investor in Moderna through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has a vested interest in promoting vaccines. Gates also routinely promoted lockdowns to coerce everyone in the world to take COVID-19 vaccines, which turned out to be a genocidal tragedy.
The irony of Gates’ position is not lost on observers. As a self-proclaimed advocate for science, Gates’ opposition to a scientific inquiry into vaccine safety appears contradictory. If vaccines are indeed “safe and effective,” as proponents claim, why would Gates resist a study that could potentially vindicate his position? The answer, critics suggest, lies in the potential risks such an inquiry could pose to the pharmaceutical industry and its allies.
The Trump transition team’s efforts to limit Kennedy’s influence extend beyond the removal of vaccine skeptics. Transition officials have moved to install a cadre of experienced conservatives in key positions across the Department of Health and Human Services, effectively boxing in Kennedy and ensuring that the department remains aligned with the White House’s agenda.
Heather Flick, Kennedy’s newly appointed chief of staff, is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the department’s priorities. A committed conservative with deep ties to the first Trump administration, Flick is seen as a steadying force who can bridge the gap between Kennedy’s idealism and the practical realities of governing.
Other key appointments include John Brooks as chief operating officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Abe Sutton as head of the Innovation Center. These hires reflect the transition team’s focus on installing loyalists who can ensure the department remains on track with the administration’s broader goals.
Despite these efforts, tensions between Kennedy’s allies and the transition team persist. Kennedy’s close confidants, including vaccine injury lawyer Aaron Siri and wellness entrepreneurs Calley and Casey Means, are unlikely to join the department but are expected to retain influence from the outside. The tug-of-war over personnel decisions highlights the challenges of balancing competing factions within the administration and underscores the broader struggle for control over the nation’s health policies.
Sources include:
Tagged Under:
Aaron Siri, advisory roles, bill gates, children's health, control, deregulation, Donald Trump, health freedom, HHS, Pharmaceutical industry, public health policy, Resist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Stefanie Spear, stock market, Trump, vaccine damage, vaccine skepticism, vaccine truth, vaccine wars, vaccines
This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author
Vaccines.News is a fact-based public education website published by Vaccines News Features, LLC.
All content copyright © 2018 by Vaccines News Features, LLC.
Contact Us with Tips or Corrections
All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.