All posts tagged "robert f. kennedy jr"

Rumors swirl that top Trump aide is next on chopping block: analysis

President Donald Trump could be considering a replacement for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an analyst said Friday.

Salon's White House columnist Brian Karem reported that while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been on leave, the Trump administration has been auditioning different "guest host" Cabinet members in the press room, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Oz is now being rumored to be a potential replacement for Kennedy.

"It’s unheard of for Cabinet members or the vice president to take such a lowly job," Karem wrote. "Maybe Dr. Mehmet Oz getting tasked with it is somewhat more appropriate. Of course, rumor has it that Oz became a substitute host because he’s auditioning for the Health and Human Services job currently held by Robert F. Kennedy Jr."

Oz took the podium on June 2 and, as Karem pointed out, walked in like "studio head Jack Woltz in 'The Godfather'" and was "obviously enamored with himself."

"He said he was stunned at how healthy Trump is. 'That amount of energy and that amount of mental acuity does not exist in a vacuum,'" Karem wrote.

Karem described an "inadvertently humorous moment" from that day.

"When asked why the president keeps going back for more medical checkups, Oz said: 'I think he likes the results. He does really well. He aces the test every single day,'" Karem wrote.

Instant mockery as RFK Jr dodges reporter's question on flesh-eating parasite

The internet mocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and officials after they dodged a reporter's question during a press conference on Monday, refusing to discuss screwworms.

Kennedy and other officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education announced that 19 medical schools in the United States had signed the Trump administration’s Nutrition Education Pledge. During the press conference in Washington, D.C., a reporter asked about the flesh-eating parasite outbreak.

"Thank you, Secretary Kennedy and Under Secretary Kent. You both talked about federal funding for the medical schools. What happens if they don't meet the 48-hour federal funding requirement ... and also, Secretary Kennedy, if you can answer this question. What would the CDC be prepared to do if there is a human case of the new world screwworm?" the reporter asked.

The internet noticed Kennedy and the other Trump administration officials were less than thrilled by the question.

"RFK Jr and his cronies refuse to take a question about screwworm during a press conference," journalist Aaron Rupar, who has more than 1.1 million followers, wrote on X.

"I mean we know he’s cool with brain worms and dead animals and with screwing so seems natural he’d be cool with screwworms," virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen, who has more than 501,000 followers, wrote on X.

"All the attention on the screwworm is making RFK Jr.'s brainworm jealous," progressive account Missing The Point, which has more than 33,000 followers, wrote on Bluesky.

"Interesting that @SecKennedy didn’t take the opportunity to highlight all the work @US_FDA has been doing on screwworm. Perhaps, as per @SherylNYT reporting, he’s out of the loop and unaware. But he should know. And in case you are curious," Sarah Despres, a public health expert and advocate, wrote on X. Despres also shared updates from the FDA involving its current animal drugs and additional information about the parasitic fly and how public health experts have responded.

Interesting that @SecKennedy didn’t take the opportunity to highlight all the work @US_FDA has been doing on screwworm. Perhaps, as per @SherylNYT reporting, he’s out of the loop and unaware. But he should know. And in case you are curious:https://t.co/LQwRPeIHLa https://t.co/ipFpQZmdM9
— Sarah Despres (@sarahdespres) June 8, 2026

RFK Jr. makes odd aside: 'I'm around a lot of young girls all the time'

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised eyebrows this week on his government podcast, "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast," when he veered into an unsolicited observation about the mental health of teenage girls — and how often he's apparently around them.

"I'm around a lot of young girls all the time, and they all seem, like, really crazy at that part of their lives," Kennedy said during an episode titled "The Truth About Psychiatric Drugs." "Most of them just get through it and figure it out. But if you put them on a regimen of psychiatric drugs at that age, they may not be able to go through the things that they need to go through."

Kennedy made the remarks in conversation with Laura Delano, author of the memoir Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance and founder of the Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit that helps patients navigate leaving the mental health system. Delano spent over a decade cycling through 19 psychiatric medications before concluding the treatment itself was harming her.

Delano validated Kennedy's comments.

"It's such a true observation," she said, arguing that the mental health industry has filled a void left by a generation of young women hungry for meaning — and that psychiatric diagnoses have become a kind of identity, even a "badge of honor."

Kennedy launched the podcast in April, billing it as "a new era of radical transparency in government." But critics have warned that the show — produced out of an HHS-branded studio — risks using the imprimatur of the nation's top health official to further erode federal health agencies' long-held reputation as a "safe harbor for information," as Georgetown public health law expert Lawrence Gostin put it.

Kennedy oversees agencies including the FDA and NIH, which regulate the psychiatric drugs he cast doubt on during the episode.

Trump Cabinet member blames RFK Jr.'s movement for sky-high beef prices

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins blamed the Make America Healthy Again movement — at least in part — for soaring beef prices heading into Memorial Day weekend, telling Fox Business that Americans are eating more beef thanks to the MAHA-driven health craze.

"But this is also combined with Make America Healthy Again — people are eating more beef than ever before," Rollins said Wednesday on Fox Business. "This is an amazing testament to our incredible ranchers who produce the best beef in America."

Ground beef is now running roughly $6.70 to $6.90 a pound — about a dollar above historical norms — as cattle herds sit at a three-generation low.

The MAHA movement, spearheaded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has aggressively promoted red meat, organ meats and animal fats as cornerstone foods of a healthy diet, while vilifying ultra-processed foods, seed oils and plant-based meat alternatives. Kennedy has long championed grass-fed beef and raw milk as part of a broader back-to-basics approach to American nutrition.

Rollins didn't pin the crisis solely on surging MAHA-fueled demand. She also pointed to what she called years of the Biden administration waging "a war on cattle ranchers" — including pulling grazing allotments and, she claimed, using climate policy to discourage cattle production. A screwworm infestation originating in South America has forced port closures, further straining supply.

On the production side, Rollins said the Department of Justice is now scrutinizing the four dominant beef processors — two of which are Brazilian-owned — and vowed to reshore processing capacity alongside a long-term push to rebuild American cattle herds.

"We're at this perfect storm," she said.

Rollins offered no concrete short-term relief for consumers staring down $7-a-pound ground beef at the grocery store this weekend. However, she framed the long-term outlook as promising under Trump's agricultural agenda.

The MAHA movement's embrace of red meat puts it squarely at odds with mainstream dietary guidance and environmentalists who argue that beef consumption is a major driver of carbon emissions.

Ex-Republican operative pinpoints GOP's most crushing weakness: 'Terminal blind spot'

Former GOP strategist Rick Wilson described a major shortcoming that Republicans have missed — and have been ignoring — since President Donald Trump entered the White House.

The co-founder of The Lincoln Project wrote in his Substack on Monday how Sen. Bill Cassidy's (R-LA) "original sin" against Trump in his vote to impeach the president during his first administration was what drove Trump's revenge campaign to unseat Cassidy in his race for re-election.

"Because here’s what Cassidy did next, and this is the part that elevates the story from tragedy to Trumpian farce," Wilson wrote. "Having committed the unforgivable, he spent the next several years frantically trying to be forgiven. He didn’t double down on the principle. He didn’t go full Liz Cheney or Adam Kinzinger and welcome political martyrdom in the name of principle."

"He negotiated. He tried to split the difference with a movement that does not do nuance, does not do partial credit, does not grade on a curve," Wilson wrote.

Despite Cassidy's best efforts, it did not work in his favor, Wilson explained. The former physician even voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Health and Human Services as a way to signal loyalty to Trump, "apparently believing this act of submission would buy him a permission slip back into the tribe."

"It bought him nothing. It was always going to buy him nothing. That is the part Cassidy and the entire cowering remnant of the institutional GOP cannot, will not, are constitutionally incapable of internalizing," Wilson wrote.

"There is no appeasement price that satisfies Trump’s hunger," Wilson wrote. "The bill is never paid, because the debt isn’t financial; it’s a loyalty oath sworn in blood, and there are no installment plans. You cannot impeach the man and then confirm his cabinet and net out even. The ledger doesn’t work that way. The ledger only records the betrayal."

Republicans have missed this signal from Trump, he explained.

"This is the GOP’s terminal blind spot, and it’s worth naming precisely: they keep believing they can transact a deal with Trump, that somehow he won’t turn on them if they ever betray the slightest tendency to principle," Wilson wrote.

"They think there’s a deal in there somewhere, a position, a vote, a sufficiently groveling Fox hit that squares the account. There is not, and will never be," he added.

Another top Trump health official quits over moves that harm children's health

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s spokesperson was the second high-ranking official to leave the Trump administration in two days in protest, citing the administration's move to greenlight selling flavored vapes that "appeal to children," according to a New York Times report on Wednesday.

Rich Danker wrote a letter to President Donald Trump just 24 hours after FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary quit for the identical reason, The Times reported.

The Times obtained Danker's letter, which included a warning "that authorizing flavored e-cigarettes would draw more children into vaping and increase their risk for a number of health issues, from addiction to cancer." Danker did not blame Trump and wrote that the president had "twice restored our prosperity and national security against all odds."

"The letter cited unnamed 'senior H.H.S. officials,' other than Mr. Kennedy, who were behind steps including a new policy posted on the F.D.A. website on Friday, in which the agency said it would take steps to remove illicit e-cigarettes from the market and allow sales of those that have already crossed hurdles toward agency approval," according to The Times.

The exodus has left the Department of Health and Human Services reeling, with three major positions now vacant.

Danker has become the second top spokesperson for Kennedy to leave the administration. His predecessor, Thomas Corry, resigned after just two weeks, also in protest over Kennedy's controversial handling of a measles outbreak in Texas.

RFK Jr. quietly resurrects anti-vaccine push despite White House muzzle: NYT

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dialed back his public comments around vaccines, but behind-the-scenes, something else is underway, according to a New York Times report published on Monday.

Kennedy had a direct order to curb his critiques of vaccines and his suggestion — despite a lack of scientific evidence — that chronic disease was tied to vaccines. The Trump administration was apparently concerned that the cabinet member's talk around the topic could impact Republicans' chances of maintaining control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.

"But he has not abandoned his quest for evidence that they are unsafe," according to The Times.

"Working behind the scenes, Mr. Kennedy is spearheading an intense push, across health agencies under his purview, for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his long-held theory that vaccines are helping to fuel an epidemic of chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with the effort," The Times reported.

Kennedy reportedly still sees this probe as a top priority and calls vaccines a "potential culprit" behind several neurological and autoimmune disorders, in addition to allergies and asthma. Biostatistician and vaccine safety expert Martin Kulldorff, who was a critic of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates throughout the pandemic, has been tapped to lead the inquiry.

"It resurrects research into a number of ideas Mr. Kennedy has espoused, including whether vaccines are linked to autism and whether thimerosal, a preservative that has largely been removed from vaccines in the United States but remains in some flu shots, is dangerous," according to The Times.

The initiative between scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in conjunction with several contractors who apparently have access to millions of patient medical records, has not been made public. The Times spoke to six people who were close to the research and asked to speak under the condition of anonymity.

"The work is raising alarms among some vaccine scholars and critics of Mr. Kennedy, who have long accused the secretary of cherry-picking data and misinterpreting studies to claim that vaccines are unsafe and to limit their use," The Times reported. "They fear Mr. Kennedy will use the findings to further erode confidence in vaccines, which the World Health Organization estimates saved 154 million lives over the past half-century."

Famed comedian rips RFK Jr in scathing take down at Hollywood Bowl charity event

Comedian John Mulaney had a fierce smackdown for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in front of a large audience at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend.

Mulaney was performing at the "Night Of Too Many Stars," a benefit for autism programs featuring top comics at the Los Angeles venue, when he dug into Kennedy's role and reputation in the Trump administration, TMZ reported. He started the monologue off by describing his own past experience with Kennedy.

"This is the best benefit I've done since Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Riverkeeper's benefit 10 years ago," Mulaney said, impersonating Kennedy's voice.

"If you don't know Bobby, and I know him as Bobby, that's how much he shouldn't be in the government, I know him," Mulaney joked. "He's comedy adjacent, you know? He's married to that woman from 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and cheats on her like a dog but he likes to be around comedy people. Sorry for the pearl clutch here, Westside people who know exactly what I'm talking about. Sorry to drop that public domain information on the Hollywood Bowl."

Mulaney mocked Kennedy's work for the organization, which has aimed to keep the Hudson River in New York clean.

"That's how good he is at jobs. His old job was keeping the Hudson River, whose native fish is tied-off used condom, clean," Mulaney quipped, mocking Kennedy again in his voice, "'And now I'm in charge of your bones and your tummy.' Stupid f---. Your thing can't be the measles."

He also made fun of Kennedy's skeptical approach to vaccines and the measles outbreak, saying in Kennedy's voice: "Can I be in charge of your body?"

@queen.caitlyn0 love him #netflix #netflixisajoke #hollywoodbowl #fyp #johnmulaney ♬ original sound - queen.caitlyn

'The wrong leader': Ex-White House doctor has scorching smackdown for RFK Jr.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former cardiologist to Vice President Dick Cheney, unleashed a serious criticism of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his lack of response to a recent rodent-borne illness outbreak.

Reiner shared his stern criticism of Kennedy in an X post on Saturday.

"RFK Jr has yet to address the hantavirus outbreak," Reiner wrote. "As leader of the massive US health enterprise he should be out front reassuring the American public about the threat, and our response capabilities. But he’s spent a career casting doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines and the risk of a variety of viral illnesses. He’s the wrong leader for HHS."

Kennedy has faced widespread criticism from medical and scientific experts over his long-standing opposition to vaccines, promotion of debunked health theories and appointment of controversial figures to health agencies during the second Trump administration. Critics, including health experts, have expressed concern that his anti-vaccine stance and skepticism of established public health protocols could undermine disease prevention efforts and compromise the integrity of federal health institutions.

RFK Jr has yet to address the hantavirus outbreak. As leader of the massive US health enterprise he should be out front reassuring the American public about the threat, and our response capabilities. But he’s spent a career casting doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines and…
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) May 9, 2026

Trump cabinet member contacted crisis firm to bury bad press: NYT report

A member of Trump's cabinet was in contact with a crisis management firm to bury negative press as he made a push for a White House post, according to a new report.

"I need to be able to throw a ton of upvotes at the stuff that is rah rah rah for him, especially in conservative circles where it might get back to DJT," reads an email by Jed Wallace, an executive from The Agency Group, in reference to a job Robert F. Kennedy Jr asked him to do. The New York Times reported the communication between the Health and Human Services secretary and TAG on Friday.

Ostensibly a PR firm, TAG has also been accused by actor Blake Lively of being hired by actor Justin Baldoni to orchestrate a smear campaign against her. The NYT acquired emails from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the TAG executive after they were included in unsealed Manhattan federal court records, the paper reported. Lively's legal team had gathered them in a deposition during a lawsuit against another actor, according to the NYT.

Kennedy Jr. was in contact with TAG after he had dropped out of the race for president in 2024, but while he was seeking to catch Trump's attention for a cabinet job, per the NYT.

He contacted TAG to help him boost positive stories and "manage concerns" and negative publicity, according to the NYT. Wallace described in one email how he needs to "downvote everything that's acting as a drag" for Kennedy Jr.

Neither Kennedy Jr. nor Wallace provided a comment for the NYT, the paper reported.