As the United States health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already orchestrated a huge firestorm of controversy. His erratic medical pronouncements and irresponsible decisions have been demagogued by Congressional leaders, global experts, and former public health officials. His leadership has been repeatedly challenged, most recently to the firing of recently CDU director Susan Monarez. This decision triggered a tsunami of resignations from senior leaders inside the agency.
Kennedy’s statements on children’s health have been especially concerning. He testified that he could diagnose “mitochondrial challenges” in children just by looking at them in public venues, like airports. According to Kennedy, these children appear “overburdened with mitochondrial challenges, with inflammation,” a statement that has raised eyebrows among public health experts and lawmakers alike.
“I’m looking at kids as I walk through the airports today, as I walk down the street, and I see these kids that are just overburdened with mitochondrial challenges, with inflammation. You can tell from their faces, from their body movements, and from their lack of social connection. And I know that that’s not how our children are supposed to look.” – Robert F Kennedy Jr
Needless to say, Minnesota Senator Tina Smith was incensed by Kennedy’s remarks. She highlighted the dangers that come from promoting false information on public health.
“I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do. Just shut up. Stop peddling bullshit. You should be fired.” – Tina Smith
Kennedy’s leadership should be under a microscope in light of Monarez’s firing. This change, regarded as controversial by many, was a factor in the resignation of four senior CDC officials. Demetre Daskalakis, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, resigned in protest. He previously expressed alarm over Kennedy’s lack of engagement and consultation with CDC subject matter experts.
“The answer is ‘no’. No one from my center has ever briefed him on any of those topics … He’s getting information from somewhere, but that information is not coming from CDC experts.” – Demetre Daskalakis
Daskalakis further suggested that Kennedy did not ask for or request required briefings on key public health issues.
“It’s not just that he hasn’t asked us. I asked for us to be able to do briefings, and I was told by his office of the secretary officials, some of whom are now fired, that they would be happy to have us do briefings, that they would reach out to be able to set them up. They’ve never done so.” – Demetre Daskalakis
Calls for Kennedy’s resignation are growing. More than 750 current and former workers at US health agencies have labeled him an “existential threat to public health.” Critics contend that his repeated incendiary comments on race, drug use, and health care are eroding confidence in the health care system.
Kennedy’s recent proposals to blame psychiatric medications for causing gun violence have alarmed advocates. As a first step, he suggested streamlining studies. These studies would determine if SSRIs and other psychiatric medications are exacerbating the wave of violence in our nation.
“Launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence,” – Robert F Kennedy Jr
These claims have been met with skepticism from all ends. Ashish Jha, former White House Covid-19 response coordinator, rejected Kennedy’s assertions as nonsense.
“This is wacky, flat-earth, voodoo stuff, people. This is not normal,” – Ashish Jha
Kennedy’s management of COVID-19 vaccine policies has faced severe backlash. Critics are right to highlight his issuance of freely released and often contradictory rules concerning vaccination protocols. His leadership style and decision-making process have triggered red flags about what this means for the future of public health initiatives.
Kennedy is expected to testify before the Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing. In this upcoming session, for the first time, he might find himself under fire with tough questions about his qualifications and decision-making processes.