RFK Jr. Comments After Hearing


Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance was nothing short of a political battlefield. What was expected to be a rigorous examination of his qualifications to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quickly escalated into a heated, often chaotic exchange between the nominee and Democratic senators intent on tearing him down.

For over three hours, Kennedy faced relentless questioning, with Democrats scrutinizing his past activism, policy positions, and even personal beliefs. Some senators seemed more interested in political theater than substantive debate, repeatedly interrupting Kennedy and at times outright berating him. The hearing had to be cut short by Republican Chairman Sen. Mike Crapo, who was forced to adjourn in order to make it to a scheduled vote.

Kennedy, for his part, didn’t hold back. At one point, he openly criticized the partisan attacks against him, lamenting how many of his former allies had turned against him purely because he had accepted a nomination from President Trump. “All these Democrats are opposed to me for partisan issues. They used to be my friends,” he said. “They agreed with all the issues I’ve been working on my whole career. Now, they’re against me because anything President Trump does has to be discredited, derided, and vilified.”

The nominee attempted to reassure skeptical conservatives, who have long regarded his activist past with suspicion. He pledged to carry out the President’s agenda faithfully, particularly on abortion policy and public health initiatives. “President Trump has asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again … and that is what I’m doing,” Kennedy stated during questioning. He emphasized that if America doesn’t address the root causes of chronic disease, then endless debates over insurance coverage and medical costs would be nothing more than “moving deck chairs around on the Titanic.”

Kennedy also doubled down on his commitment to transparency, pointing to his extensive history of holding the federal government accountable through lawsuits and public records requests. His promise of “radical transparency” seemed to resonate with many Republicans, even those who have had their own reservations about his past positions.

Still, the attacks from Senate Democrats showed no signs of slowing. The hearing veered into absurdity at times—perhaps most memorably when Sen. Bernie Sanders aggressively pressed Kennedy over baby onesies being sold by a group he had once been associated with. The exchange left many scratching their heads, wondering what exactly a children’s clothing item had to do with overseeing the nation’s health care system.

But it was Sen. Elizabeth Warren who delivered the most fiery rebuke of the nominee. Raising her voice, she accused Kennedy of secretly plotting to “undercut vaccines and vaccine manufacturing across our country.” She dismissed his repeated insistence that he supports vaccines and simply wants better scientific integrity, instead painting a dark picture of Kennedy as a profiteer with a hidden agenda. “Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it,” Warren declared.

Outside the hearing room, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson decried the hyper-partisan nature of the proceedings. He defended Kennedy as someone who simply wants to improve public health and restore trust in science. “We’re all focused on trying to accomplish what the American people want. We want to understand what’s causing chronic illness. What caused autism? Let’s restore integrity to science. That’s all that Bobby Kennedy is about,” Johnson said.

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