Dem
47
GOP
53
Secretary of HHS Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sometimes described as an anti-vaccine fanatic. This description does not do him justice. He is actually a full-service quack. Six former surgeons general have called his alleged leadership a "profound, immediate, and unprecedented threat to the health and safety of Americans."
But Kennedy also has supporters. Every other Wednesday, his ragtag bunch of allies get together on a call organized by MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Action to discuss national public health policy. Participants have included the governor of West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey; a shirtless Russell Brand in a bathtub; a former member of the Pussycat Dolls; and Kennedy's wife, Cheryl Hines. The calls open with a montage of a gas-mask-clad worker spraying crops; R&B singer, Jimmy Levy, who sells hoodies that say: "I think the earth is flat. So What?"; and Kennedy walking onstage in slow motion at a Donald Trump rally, among other clips.
A recurring star is CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, who sometimes calls in from his D.C. office, and sometimes from wherever he is at that moment. Sometimes he supports the things Kennedy has said and sometimes he disagrees. For example, after Kennedy said that Tylenol causes autism, Oz said: "It's not causation. Gotta be restrained on this."
Kennedy fans take turns praising the secretary for his many achievements. One said: "Fluoride disconnects one from God." It is an odd collection of wackos discussing public policy, but they clearly have Kennedy's ear. (V)