President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary tried to walk back his disparaging remarks against children with autism and people with disabilities at his congressional hearing on Friday — but CNN's Jake Tapper had a clip ready to hold him to account.
"Another round of intense questioning for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," said Tapper. "On Capitol Hill today, lawmakers pressed the Department of Health and Human Services secretary on his promotion of medical misinformation. In one of the most hostile moments from today's hearing, Democratic Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia scolded RFK Jr. about his past remarks on autism, specifically his claim that autism, quote, 'destroys families' and that children with autism 'have no future.'"
Tapper rolled the clip.
"Some people with disabilities do need direct care to assist them with activities like going to the bathroom, but that does not mean that they are somehow less than or unable to lead fulfilling and productive lives as you," said McBath, to which Kennedy replied, "Nobody said they were."
"'And nobody said they were,' RFK Jr. said," repeated Tapper. "But Secretary Kennedy, someone did say they were, and it was you."
He then played another, earlier clip of Kennedy giving a speech.
"Destroys families and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which our children," said Kennedy in the clip. "These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted."
"Today, Congresswoman McBath asked RFK Jr. to apologize for his remarks," said Tapper. "He refused, stating that he was specifically talking about profound autism, although that's not what he said. He said autism destroys families."