Billionaire entrepreneur and prime adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, touted that he has reaped the advantages of a controversial class of weight-loss medication, after fellow prime Trump adviser, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated the fashionable new class of medication is dangerous for Individuals’ well being.
“Ozempic Santa” Musk posted to X, previously Twitter, on Christmas Day, alongside a picture of himself in entrance of a well-decorated Christmas tree dressed as Santa Claus — however with out his signature massive stomach. “Like Cocaine Bear, however Santa and Ozempic!”
In a follow-up publish, Musk clarified that he’s taking the brand-name model known as Mounjaro, however stated the clunky title did not “have the identical ring to it.”
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Musk has been tapped by Trump — together with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — to go the soon-to-be Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) aimed toward slicing down on wasteful authorities spending and pink tape. In the meantime, Kennedy is Trump’s decide to guide the Division of Well being and Human Providers and, if confirmed, Trump has given Kennedy permission to “go wild on well being” so long as he would not intervene with Trump’s home vitality targets.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks with Donald Trump throughout a marketing campaign occasion on the Butler Farm Present, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Put up by way of Getty Pictures)
Musk’s social media publish over the vacations turned heads, contemplating Kennedy has expressed opposition to semaglutide. Initially developed as a diabetes treatment, semaglutide has been used extra broadly lately for its appetite-suppressing results.
“There’s an enormous push to promote this to the American individuals,” Kennedy stated of the semaglutide treatment Ozempic when requested about his ideas on the treatment in October by Fox Information’ Greg Gutfeld. “They make this drug in Denmark, and in Denmark they don’t advocate it for diabetes, or for weight problems. They advocate dietary and behavioral modifications.”
“They’re relying on promoting it to Individuals as a result of we’re so silly and so hooked on medication,” Kennedy added. He additionally concluded that the U.S. might clear up the weight problems disaster in America “in a single day” if they simply had entry to, and ate, higher high quality meals.
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Kennedy has run on a platform to “Make America Wholesome Once more,” however Ozempic, he says, won’t assist in these efforts. Musk, nonetheless, has stated that “nothing would do extra to enhance public well being” than making Ozempic extra broadly obtainable.
Throughout President Joe Biden’s remaining days in workplace, his administration proposed increasing Medicare and Medicaid protection for semaglutides to make them extra broadly obtainable for many who wish to reap the weight-losing advantages of the drug.
President-elect Trump shared a McDonald’s meal with Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., Home Speaker Mike Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Donald Trump Jr./X)
In addition to Musk, Kennedy might additionally probably conflict with Trump’s decide to guide the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has additionally expressed help for medication like Ozempic.
“I feel the quantity of fine achieved by these drugs by serving to individuals drop a few pounds and enhance their cardiovascular system — and it might need long-term advantages in plenty of different areas as effectively, the place weight problems causes irritation — is huge,” Oz stated final yr in a video posted to his Instagram account.
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Kennedy, who very effectively might grow to be Oz’s boss if they’re each authorised by the Senate, appeared to reduce his criticism of the brand new weight-loss drug amid his efforts to courtroom help for his nomination from members of Congress.
Former Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provides remarks on the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Resort on Aug. 23, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, forward of his choice to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and throw his help behind Trump. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Pictures)
“The primary line of response needs to be way of life. It needs to be consuming effectively, ensuring that you do not get overweight,” Kennedy stated throughout a fast interview with CNBC on the ground of the New York Inventory Change, earlier than including that anti-obesity medication like Ozempic “have a spot” within the American medical group.
Representatives for Musk, Kennedy and the Trump transition crew didn’t present a remark to Fox Information Digital for this story.
