RFK Jr defends vaccine stance as protesters disrupt confirmation hearing
RFK Jr defends vaccine stance as protesters disrupt confirmation hearing
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President Donald Trump's controversial health secretary pick, Robert F Kennedy Jr has defended his stance on vaccines after facing hours of grilling at a confirmation hearing that was interrupted by protesters. Mr Kennedy rejected being “anti-vaccine” but said he has asked "uncomfortable questions" while he was grilled by a committee of US senators, and at one point was confronted about a statement he made where he described how Covid-19 was engineered to target white and black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
Mr Kennedy sought to defend his record to the Senate Finance Committee, promising lawmakers that he was not against vaccines, and saying he would address rapidly increasing rates of chronic disease as well as follow Trump's direction on abortion. "I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated," said Mr Kennedy, 70, who attended the hearing with his wife Cheryl Hines and some of his children. "We have the highest chronic disease burden of any country in the world... This is an existential threat.".
A protester momentarily disrupted the confirmation hearing when she jumped to her feet and yelled "he lies" when Mr Kennedy claimed he was not "anti-vaccine.". Capitol police officers quickly removed the woman from the room, and several others in the hearing room applauded and said: "We love you, Bobby!".
Another protester stood up holding a sign that said "Vaccines save lives". Mr Kennedy is seeking to lead a 1.7 trillion-dollar (£1.37 trillion) agency that will oversee vaccine recommendations as well as food inspections and health insurance for half the country in President Donald Trump's administration.
