RFK Jr. to face grilling from senators at his first confirmation hearing
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RFK Jr. Faces Senate in High-Profile Confirmation Hearing
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Above: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Pres. Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Win McNamee/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Pres. Donald Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday for his first confirmation hearing, where he faced intense questioning about his views on topics including vaccines and public health.
During the hearing, which was periodically interrupted by anti-Kennedy protesters, he stated that he is in favor of polio and measles vaccines, that he is "pro-safety," and that all his children are vaccinated.
Kennedy engaged in heated exchanges with Democratic senators, particularly with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) who questioned him about alleged past statements claiming "no vaccine is safe and effective," which Kennedy argued was taken out of context from a podcast interview.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Senators should not be fooled by Kennedy's rhetoric — his goal is not to reform health agencies but to undermine them. His record shows he spreads anti-science misinformation, from vaccine skepticism to HIV denialism. His plans to fire experts and halt critical research would cripple public health, not improve it. While many of the chronic disease issues he pointed out are real, his solutions to those problems would not only fail but likely make things worse.
Establishment-critical narrative
If critics of Kennedy wanted to combat misinformation, they would stop defending corrupt health regulators who get paid to write faulty research in favor of pharmaceutical corporations. Kennedy has chosen to serve in the HHS to stand up to predatory food and drug industries. Americans knew their food and environment had been poisoned, but they didn't have someone in government willing to fight for them — until Kennedy showed up.
