During a heated confirmation hearing for HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a sharp exchange took place between Kennedy and Senator Ron Wyden. Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Kennedy about prior statements made on podcasts regarding vaccine safety. Wyden specifically referenced a 2023 podcast where Kennedy allegedly stated that "no vaccine is safe and effective" and contrasted it with a 2020 podcast comment where Kennedy purportedly expressed regret about vaccinating his children.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Sen Ron Wyden (Getty/AP)
Kennedy countered that the 2023 comment from the Lex Fridman podcast was a truncated excerpt taken out of context. He explained that he was about to elaborate on the nuanced point that while some live virus vaccines may be beneficial, no medicine, including vaccines, is universally safe and effective for every individual due to potential sensitivities. He asserted that Fridman interrupted him before he could fully articulate this point and accused Wyden of being aware of this context and acting dishonestly by raising the issue.
President Donald Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr., sits in a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn on Capitol Hill on Jan. 9, 2025. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
A transcript of the Fridman interview partially supports Kennedy’s claim, showing that he began to discuss live virus vaccines before being interrupted. Kennedy has since clarified his position on subsequent platforms, including an interview with Bill Maher, where he emphasized that he would never claim no vaccine is safe and effective. Kennedy maintains that he is "pro-safety" and not "anti-vaccine" or "anti-industry," as some critics have suggested. He reiterated this stance in his opening statement to the Senate Finance Committee. Despite this, opposition to Kennedy's nomination remains strong, with various groups actively campaigning against his confirmation.
Sen. Ron Wyden (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
