NW Valley Times

Arizona State Sen. Janae Shamp (R-Surprise) said President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is “especially encouraging” to her, given Shamp’s background as a health care professional.

“As a former perioperative nurse and health care professional, the nomination of RFK Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services is especially encouraging,” Shamp told NW Valley Times. “Our healthcare system is broken on so many levels and is in dire need of reform. We need someone who will challenge the status quo bureaucracy of America's health services, and he has both the knowledge and conviction to do so.”

“I believe we are about to begin one of the greatest inflection points in American political history with the re-election of Donald Trump as president and the members he has appointed to his cabinet,” Shamp said. “So far, he has assembled some of the brightest and most diverse minds to oversee our nation's agencies.”

First elected in Nov. 22 to represent Arizona’s 29th Legislative District, Shamp was elected by her Senate colleagues earlier this month to serve as the State Senate Majority Leader. A resident of Surprise, she graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and received her nursing degree, also graduating cum laude, from Grand Canyon University.

Shamp’s comments were in response to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), who said Trump has assembled a broad group of Cabinet appointees that “span the political spectrum” and love the United States.  

“The coalition that President Trump has assembled—people like Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, these are people that span the political spectrum, are willing to put their differences aside, focus on areas of agreement,” Sen. Johnson said in an interview with Wake Up America. “They all love this country. They realize we have serious problems and they're working together to solve those problems, so I'm quite hopeful.”

Trump selected Kennedy, Jr., an environmental attorney and vaccine safety advocate, to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has served on various environmental organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council. He ran for president, first as a Democrat, and then as an Independent, in 2024, but suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump.

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump posted on X, announcing his selection of Kennedy. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”

Kennedy authored the 2021 bestselling book, The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health. The book examines the role of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the U.S. reaction to “COVID.”  It includes critiques of Fauci’s leadership, examines Fauci’s ties to the pharmaceutical industry, and details the collaboration between government and private organizations during the “COVID.”

Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been appointed by Trump to co-lead a newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk, known for his role in advancing electric vehicles and private space exploration, will focus on identifying inefficiencies in federal operations. 

At a New York campaign rally in October, Musk said he thinks DOGE can identify ”at least $2 trillion“ in waste, fraud, and abuse, reported Yahoo News.

"Your money is being wasted, and the department of government efficiency is gonna fix that,” said Musk. “We’re gonna get the government off your back and out of your pocketbook."

Gabbard, a former U.S. Representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, was selected by Trump to be the Director of National Intelligence. She has emphasized foreign policy reform and non-interventionism, and left the Democratic Party in 2022, citing concerns over political division. 

“Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans," Trump said in an email announcing the Gabbard selection. "As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she has broad support in both parties — she is now a proud Republican!"

Johnson is a Republican who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2011. Johnson has also played a prominent role in issues related to national security, cybersecurity, and foreign policy, often expressing skepticism toward federal agencies. Known for his fiscally conservative stance, Johnson has been a vocal advocate for reducing federal spending and limiting government regulations. He has frequently emphasized the need for free-market solutions in healthcare and economic policy, arguing against what he sees as government overreach.