Dem
47
GOP
53
Robert Kennedy Jr.'s defiant testimony before the Senate was the last straw for a number of his relatives. His own sister, Kerry Kennedy, sent out a tweet that concludes: "I stand with the many courageous individuals in the medical and scientific communities who have set aside their vital work to speak truth to power to keep the public safe. Enough is enough. Kennedy must resign. Now."
Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson, wrote: "RFK LOSER IS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH and AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP WHO PLEASURES HIMSELF by lying to Congress." Schlossberg is probably going to run for the seat of retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY). Former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, RFK's grandson and Junior's nephew, called his uncle "a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American."
The Kennedys aren't the only ones who have had it with Junior, but some of the others don't have the spines to be as up front as the family. Senate Majority Whip John Barraso (R-WY), an orthopedic surgeon, said: "I support vaccines. I'm a doctor. Vaccines work. Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I've grown deeply concerned." No. No. No. Senator, you are from the great open spaces of Wyoming. Maine is 1,800 miles away.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) read aloud a statement from conservative commentator Erick Erickson, whose wife couldn't get a vaccine. Cassidy said: "I would say, effectively, we're denying people vaccines." (Our italics.) It is definitely "we're" because Cassidy, a physician, is as much at fault as Kennedy. He could have killed Kennedy's nomination and chose not to. He's got a lot of nerve whining about a situation he could have prevented and chose not to.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said: "I do also believe that some of your statements seem to contradict what you said in the prior hearing. You said you're going to empower the scientists at HHS to do their job—I'd just like to see evidence where you've done that." Seem to contradict? Doesn't he mean: "How dare you lie to this committee under oath?"
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was angry about Kennedy firing CDC Director Susan Monarez a month after the Senate confirmed her. Thune told reporters: "Honestly, he's got to take responsibility. We confirm these people, we go through a lot of work to get them confirmed, and they're in office a month?"
On the other hand, President of the Senate J.D. Vance was with Kennedy. He tweeted: "When I see all these senators trying to lecture and 'gotcha' Bobby Kennedy today, all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal 'therapies' for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma. You're full of sh*t and everyone knows it." Do Cassidy, Tillis, and Thune support mutilating kids? Who knew?
Next up, Jerome Adams, surgeon general during Trump v1.0, was asked if Trump should fire Kennedy. He said: "I absolutely believe that he should for the sake of the nation and the sake of his [Trump's] legacy." Adams even criticized Trump himself: "President Trump is clearly the leader on foreign policy, clearly the leader on the economy and tariffs. But when it comes to health he's doing whatever RFK says."
Trump doesn't give a rat's a** one way or the other about vaccines, even though he authorized Operation Warp Speed in Trump v1.0. Still, he is pretty good about feeling which way the wind is blowing. He told reporters: "You have some vaccines that are so incredible. I think you have to be very careful when you say some people don't have to be vaccinated. It's a very tough position. Just initially I heard about it yesterday, and it's a tough stance." So? How about doing something about it? (V)