Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the Trump administration’s sweeping firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a Senate hearing, citing poor pandemic response and promising new leadership. The Health Secretary argued that the agency’s previous leaders were responsible for the high number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 and vowed to replace them with officials who would chart a new course.
Kennedy’s testimony came as the Senate Finance Committee focused on President Trump’s healthcare agenda and vaccine guidance. Senators on the committee, who are all Democrats, grilled Kennedy on his attempts to limit access to COVID-19 shots for children, his dismissals of health officials, and his associations with individuals who have questioned the safety of mRNA vaccines.
Recent months have seen the Trump administration carry out a major shake-up within the CDC and other federal health agencies. This includes the firing of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immun, Immunization Practices in June and the removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez in August. Kennedy has insisted that these changes were necessary to restore public trust in health guidance.
Monarez, who had been in the position for less than a month after Senate confirmation, stated in an op-ed that she was told by Kennedy and his aides that she must step down or face dismissal. She wrote that she was instructed to ‘pre-approve the recommendations of a vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed anti-vaccine rhetoric.’ This has raised questions about the motivations behind the changes and whether they are based on public health concerns or political influence.
During the pandemic, the CDC recommended vaccines for children as young as six months and for pregnant women to pass immunity to newborns, while older children were required to wear masks in schools and daycares. Former National Institutes of Health Director Anthony Fauci’s shifting mask guidance became one of the most controversial aspects of the pandemic. In early 2020, he discouraged mask use, citing supply shortages and limited evidence of asymptomatic spread. Weeks later, the CDC reversed course and urged cloth mask use nationwide. Fauci later admitted that the mixed messaging ‘fooled’ the public and fueled mistrust.
Kennedy’s comments also drew criticism from some senators who questioned his approach and the potential impact on public health policies. The hearing highlighted the ongoing tension between different perspectives on vaccine safety, public health guidance, and the role of government in managing health crises. As the debate continues, the actions taken by the Trump administration and its supporters will remain a topic of intense scrutiny.