America’s Death Rate Hitting a Record Low Had Nothing to Do With Trump or Kennedy
The Real Truth About Vaccines
It is true that the death rate in the United States has hit a record low.
It is also true that this has absolutely nothing to do with anything that President Trump or Secretary RFK, Jr has done.
America’s Death Rate Hitting a Record Low Had Nothing to Do With Trump or Kennedy
Of course, that doesn’t mean that anti-vaccine influencers and MAHA folks aren’t trying to give Trump and Kennedy credit for the drop in the death rate.
“In 2025, 3,094,593 deaths occurred in the United States. The age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 population was 811.1 for males and 582.9 for females. The overall rate, 689.2 per 100,000 population, was 4.6% lower than in 2024. The rate decreased for all age groups.”
Mortality in the United States: Provisional Data, 2025
So what is driving the drop in deaths?
“The number of deaths from heart disease increased in 2025 (694,708) compared with 2024 (683,491), and deaths from cancer in 2025 (622,832) increased from 2024 (619,876).”
Mortality in the United States: Provisional Data, 2025
That the number of deaths from the top two leading causes of death increased might provide a clue…
Another clue?
“The main driver of the record low was a continued drop in drug overdose deaths, said Farida Ahmad, a health scientist at the CDC and one of the report’s co-authors. Another factor, she added, was that Covid-19 no longer contributed to as many deaths.”
U.S. Death Rate Falls to Its Lowest Point on Record
The authors of the report explained that the drop in deaths basically have nothing to do with the policies of Trump and Kennedy!
Well, almost nothing.
Influenza and pneumonia deaths increased last year, moving up to the 8th leading cause of death, from number 11.
Without the increase in influenza and pneumonia deaths, there might have been an even bigger drop in the death rate!
“Geeta Sood, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the severity of recent flu seasons came down to a number of factors, including the flu strain itself and a continued decline in vaccination rates.”
U.S. Death Rate Falls to Its Lowest Point on Record
And of course, that increase in influenza and pneumonia deaths may have been because of Trump and RFK, Jr.’s effect on fewer people getting their flu vaccines.
“With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the helm of the nation’s top health agencies, federal vaccine guidance has often shifted, and the Trump administration has avoided or largely done away with federally funded public-awareness campaigns that in years past have encouraged people to get their annual flu shots.”
U.S. Death Rate Falls to Its Lowest Point on Record
An effect that might be even worse this next year if we have an even more severe flu season.
Bottom line - the drop in the death rates, like the drop in obesity rates, had nothing to do with Trump and Kennedy.
Instead, we can thank Trump and Kennedy for:
taking apart our public health systems, including that we still don’t have a Surgeon General or permanent leaders at CDC or FDA and 1,000s of workers were fired and
hiring known anti-vaccine influencers, including Lyn Redwood and David Geier
firing all of the members of ACIP and replaced them with people hand-picked to advance RFK, Jr’s anti-vaccine agenda, an unqualified ACIP committee that was ultimately blocked by a court order
postponing the last three meetings and removed two key leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
worsening vaccine hesitancy and confusion about the immunization schedule
terminating critical research
defunding Narcan programs!
cutting spending for HIV and STD prevention
turning the food pyramid upside down, even though it hadn’t been used in 15 years, and removing the well-liked MyPlate plan, which is easier to use than a pyramid, even if it is upside down.
increasing the number of infant formula recalls associated with outbreaks of botulism, despite launching an Operation Stork Speed plan to make formula safer
making it more likely that our kids will be exposed to dangerous chemicals, as this administration restored policies and regulations making it easier for companies to pollute our air, soil, and water
mishandling the Hantavirus outbreak
more Americans losing their health insurance
the closure of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes because of cuts to Medicaid
ignoring the cyclosporiasis outbreak
But again, they did take away our blue and brown M&Ms, and that will make us all healthier, right?
More on Trump and RFK, Jr
How Much Money Was Spent on Chronic Diseases When JFK Was President?
Red Measles Is Taking on a New Meaning With Measles Cases Soaring in Red States
Provisional Data: U.S. Death Rate Fell to a Record Low in 2025
Tracking the Public Health Impacts of Federal Executive Orders
White House Watch: Tracking Attacks on Our Environment & Health
One year in, RFK Jr.’s leadership has endangered public health, report says
U.S. street drug deaths keep dropping, but some Western states see deadly overdose surge