Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says new data shows Americans are living longer under President Donald Trump: ‘We have reversed a 30-year decline in longevity’
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently claimed that new federal data shows Americans are living longer under President Donald Trump, pointing to record-high life expectancy and declining mortality.
Speaking at the Republican National Committee’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on September 10, Kennedy credited Trump’s health agenda for what he described as a turnaround in national well-being.
However, historical federal data show that while longevity has rebounded sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic, RFK Jr.’s claim of a “30-year decline” is not completely accurate.
Kennedy points to new data regarding Americans’ longevity
“Preliminary data that I received two days ago from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates we have reversed a 30-year decline in longevity,” Kennedy said during the convention.
Federal figures do show a major recovery, as life expectancy reached 79.0 years in 2024, up from 78.4 years in 2023 and the highest level ever recorded. The CDC attributed the increase largely to lower mortality from unintentional injuries, COVID-19, heart disease, cancer and homicide.
Provisional 2025 data show the age-adjusted death rate fell to 689 deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest recorded level in more than a century.
Health gains extend beyond life expectancy
Kennedy also highlighted dietary changes and a decline in the adult obesity rate.
CDC data show adults obtained 53 percent of their calories from ultra-processed foods from 2021 to 2023, down from 56 percent in 2017 and 2018. He also said real-food sales increased 8 percent in 2025 and cited a 7 percent increase in organic-food sales. Kennedy credited the Trump administration with reducing obesity after years of increases.
Gallup’s latest data show adult obesity fell from a peak of 39.9 percent in 2022 to 36.8 percent in 2026. Gallup also reported that GLP-1 weight-loss medication use has risen substantially, noting another potential factor in the decline.
Kennedy’s ‘30-year’ claim does not match history
Kennedy’s claim that the Trump administration “reversed a 30-year decline in longevity” is not supported by historical federal life-expectancy statistics.
As explained by Newsweek, “U.S. life expectancy generally rose between the 1990s and the mid-2010s, although the pace of improvement slowed considerably compared with previous decades. The more recent decline occurred during the late 2010s and accelerated sharply during the pandemic, before rebounding in subsequent years.”
Researchers have linked the rebound to declining COVID-19 and overdose-related deaths and improvements in other causes of mortality.
Life expectancy gains began before Trump’s second term
While the data show Americans are living longer than they did during the pandemic, they do not establish that Trump’s policies caused the improvement.
Life expectancy is affected by numerous medical, social and economic factors, and the latest gains began before Trump took office in January 2025. Women had a life expectancy of 81.4 years in 2024, compared with 76.5 years for men.
The U.S. also continues to trail countries including Japan, Switzerland, Australia and Canada in life expectancy.
RFK Jr: "So I am 72 years old. And for 70 years of my life, I would have bet any amount of money that I would not be addressing a Republican convention." pic.twitter.com/nSR4UeMUwj
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) September 11, 2026
Kennedy’s argument that American health indicators are improving is supported by several recent measures.
However, additional years of data will be needed to determine whether those gains represent a sustained trend or a continued recovery from the pandemic.