White House officials rallied to the defense of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who faced an onslaught of criticism from Democratic senators and skepticism from some Republicans during a fiery hearing on Thursday.
“Secretary @RobertKennedyJr is taking flak because he’s over the target,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X. “The Trump Administration is addressing root causes of chronic disease, embracing transparency in government, and championing gold-standard science. Only the Democrats could attack that commonsense effort.”
Taylor Budowich, a deputy chief of staff in the White House, claimed Democrats appeared “uninterested in health or human services, just parrots of a failed medical orthodoxy that has made America less healthy. Great hearing and preparation by the Sec.”
Vice President Vance said senators attempting to “lecture” Kennedy while supporting hormone therapy for children were “full of shit and everyone knows it.”
Democrats accounted for most of the testy exchanges with Kennedy during his appearances before the Senate Finance Committee hearing.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Kennedy had “elevated conspiracy theorists, crackpots, and grifters to make life-or-death decisions about Americans’ health care.” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) raised his voice and told Kennedy that parents and teachers “deserve so much better than your leadership.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Kennedy over why he fired the recently confirmed head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But Republicans also joined in at times in pushing Kennedy, particularly over vaccines.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, asked Kennedy if he thought President Trump deserved the Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed, which accelerated the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment during Trump’s first term. When Kennedy answered affirmatively, Cassidy pressed him about his opposition to mRNA technology and why his agency cut more than $500 million in contracts for mRNA research.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), also a trained physician, said he was “deeply concerned” about the rhetoric around vaccines, saying they are effective and confidence in public health can’t be undermined.
Thursday’s hearing came after the ouster of former CDC Director Susan Monarez and the departure of several other top officials at the agency. Kennedy has also replaced the officials on the advisory panel that reviews vaccines with individuals skeptical of vaccinations.
Kennedy has long voiced opposition to vaccines, though he has pushed back on being labeled “anti-vaccine.” He has spent decades promoting the theory that childhood vaccines have led to an increase in autism and chronic illnesses, despite studies repeatedly showing otherwise.
