Some Food and Drug Administration staffers are considering a quick exit as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is being floated as a potential health official in the incoming Trump administration, according to three former and one current administration official who were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive issues. The former officials are still in contact with colleagues who work at the FDA.

Employee turnover is typical when a new administration takes office, and a significant number of FDA employees also considered leaving before newly elected President Donald Trump’s first term, a former and a current official said. At the time, there were also concerns about what the FDA would look like under the first Trump administration.

But ultimately, there was “relatively little turnover” at the time, one former official said, adding that Trump’s first term generally worked out well for those who stayed at the FDA, as they were able to “implement new priorities for the agency ‘. , such as accelerated drug approval.

This time, however, there is an extra layer of fear beyond Trump: Kennedy.

“During the first government, more and more people adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Now, between concerns about new post-employment restrictions and the risk of involuntary separation, more and more people are taking a proactive approach,” said a former official.

The current official agreed with that assessment, adding that “dozens” are most likely considering their options.

It’s not yet known what health care role Kennedy will play in the administration — if any — but Trump has said he will let the former independent presidential candidate and vaccine skeptic “run wild on health.” . Meanwhile, Kennedy promises a shake-up of federal health agencies, including the FDA, telling NBC News the day after the election that “in some categories there are entire departments, like the FDA’s nutrition division, that need to go.”

“The question now is: Will the agency have leadership that is able to continue developing innovative new products, or will there be leadership that tries to shake things up in a way that could actually make it more difficult for the agency to achieve its core mission perform?” said one of the former officials.

The FDA did not respond to a request for comment on whether employees are considering leaving.

A former official and a current official said it’s all talk at this point and it’s unclear if anyone has left yet or made serious plans to do so.

At a cancer research event Tuesday, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said he was “disappointed” with the election results and uncertain about the agency’s future.

When asked if he foresees any kind of “mass exodus” of workers, Califf said: “I think people are waiting for it.”

“We just don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Califf said. “I think it’s pretty clear that the essence of this government, from everything that’s been said, is that a lot of things need to change. How that changes depends on who is appointed to key positions and how the various policy measures work out.”

Trump has also suggested he might try to end the so-called revolving door, in which government officials who leave the agency end up lobbying their former colleagues — an added layer of concern for staff about their future job prospects if they stay, one person said .

Another said they were unsure what such a restriction would look like or how Trump would make it retroactively binding.

One person said a number of FDA employees are retiring, and “some may think now is a good time to do so.” According to the agency, more than 18,000 employees work at the FDA.

It is also possible that Kennedy will be given a role that has little or no impact on the overall functioning of the FDA.

Last month, NBC News reported that the Trump campaign was considering having Kennedy spearhead what is being described as “Operation Warp Speed ​​for Chronic Childhood Disease,” referring to the title of the Covid vaccine development project during Trump’s first term.

Kennedy has also floated the idea of ​​him being a White House “health czar.”