Savages in the Senate: Kennedy Ambushed in a Game of Dirty Politics

 Last Thursday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was less a forum for reasoned debate and more a political ambush. Before he even testified, Democrats had issued a “report card” mocking his 203-day tenure as HHS Secretary, and over a thousand HHS employees had signed a petition demanding his resignation.

For nearly three hours, senators from both parties hurled accusations, interrupted, and tried to box Kennedy into contradictions. Yet rather than folding under pressure, Kennedy held his ground. He repeatedly emphasized that vaccine recommendations must be based on clinical data, not politics or industry pressure.

Key clashes unfolded over Covid-19 vaccines, the ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez, and Kennedy’s overhaul of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee (ACIP). Senators accused him of stacking the panel with “antivaxxers” and undermining public health, while Kennedy countered that he had depoliticized a committee long riddled with conflicts of interest.

The hearing highlighted not just Kennedy’s combative style, but the entrenched hostility of his critics. Senators resorted to insults (“charlatan,” “hazard,” “liar”) while demanding blind deference to professional associations. Kennedy flipped the script, pointing out that chronic childhood disease had skyrocketed under the very institutions his opponents were defending.

What emerged was a stark contrast: Kennedy calling for data-driven, transparent public health decisions versus senators clinging to institutional authority and political orthodoxy. The event revealed more about the fragility of his critics than about Kennedy himself.

• Pre-Hearing Attacks

  • Democrats issued a mocking “report card” on Kennedy’s HHS record.

  • Over 1,000 HHS employees signed a petition for his resignation.

• Vaccine Clash

  • Kennedy praised Operation Warp Speed but refused to claim vaccines saved “millions” without solid data.

  • Refused to recommend boosters for healthy people, calling it unscientific.

  • Clashed with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who accused him of “denying vaccines.”

• Institutional Capture

  • Kennedy accused the medical establishment of being co-opted by pharma.

  • Highlighted advisers like Marty Makary, Jay Bhattacharya, Vinay Prasad, and Dr. Oz as independent voices.

  • Countered Bernie Sanders by contrasting “established science” with “the scientific establishment.”

• CDC Shake-Up

  • Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, calling her account “false.”

  • Fired all 17 members of ACIP, citing corruption and conflicts of interest.

  • Replaced them with figures like Dr. Robert Malone, Prof. Retsef Levi, and Dr. Martin Kulldorff.

  • Critics accused him of stacking the panel with “antivaxxers.”

• Autism Study “Gotcha” Moment

  • Sen. Ben Ray Luján pressed Kennedy on study “protocols,” unaware they were already public.

  • Chairman Crapo shut down the attempt to subpoena documents.

• Kennedy’s Counterattack

  • Declared the CDC “the most corrupt agency in HHS.”

  • Accused the CDC of letting teachers’ unions dictate school closures.

  • Blamed senators for ignoring rising chronic disease in children.

• Tone of the Hearing

  • Senators hurled insults: “liar,” “charlatan,” “hazard.”

  • Kennedy remained firm, refusing to endorse products without evidence.

  • The spectacle revealed deep partisanship, politicization of science, and a defensive establishment.

• Big Picture

  • Hearing exposed desperation among Kennedy’s critics.

  • Kennedy positioned himself as a reformer against entrenched, pharma-influenced institutions.

  • For observers, the hearing underscored how deeply politicized public health debates remain.

https://brownstone.org/articles/savages-in-the-senate-kennedy-ambushed-in-a-game-of-dirty-politics/