RFK Jr. Defends CDC Firings Over COVID-19 Response/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the ouster of CDC leaders, saying they failed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kennedy criticized lockdowns and school mask mandates while reshaping vaccine advisory panels with skeptics. His policies have sparked fierce backlash from medical organizations urging his resignation.
RFK Jr. Defends CDC Firings Quick Looks
- Kennedy told Senate panel CDC leaders “deserved to be fired.”
- Criticized pandemic-era lockdowns and masking guidance.
- Said CDC leaders failed to control chronic disease.
- CDC director Susan Monarez fired less than a month into role.
- Monarez accused Kennedy of weakening public health protections.
- Vaccine advisory panel reshaped with skeptics and critics.
- In May, Kennedy ended COVID-19 vaccine guidance for kids/pregnant women.
- Major medical groups call Kennedy’s approach dangerous and anti-science.
- Sen. Ron Wyden accused Kennedy of lying about doctors’ support.
- More than 20 public health groups demand Kennedy resign.
RFK Jr. Defends CDC Firings Over COVID-19 Response
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his decision to overhaul leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), telling a Senate panel Thursday that those who departed the agency last week “deserved to be fired.”
Speaking before the Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy directly tied the leadership shake-up to the CDC’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, blasting school closures, mask mandates, and what he described as ineffective disease control.
“The people at the CDC who put masks on our children, who closed our schools, are the people who will be leaving,” Kennedy told senators. He later added that they failed to act effectively against chronic illness, further justifying their dismissal.
Clashes Over Vaccine Policy
The hearing, convened to review Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, quickly turned contentious. Sen. Ron Wyden, the panel’s top Democrat, accused Kennedy of spreading misinformation and stacking advisory committees with vaccine skeptics.
“You are lying when you say you have the support of American doctors,” Wyden charged, pointing to Kennedy’s recent replacement of career scientists with individuals who have expressed doubts about vaccines.
Kennedy denied pressuring appointees to approve predetermined recommendations.
The controversy follows the abrupt dismissal of CDC Director Susan Monarez, less than a month into her tenure. Several senior officials resigned in protest, deepening turmoil at the nation’s leading public health agency.
In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Monarez accused Kennedy of trying to “weaken public health protections,” alleging she was told to preapprove recommendations from a panel “newly filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric.”
Policy Shifts Draw Outcry
Kennedy, long associated with the anti-vaccine movement, has taken aggressive steps since his confirmation:
- May 2025: Announced that COVID-19 vaccines would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, defying guidance from global health organizations.
- June 2025: Disbanded an expert vaccine advisory group, replacing members with handpicked skeptics and shutting out long-standing medical associations.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and vaccine supporter, expressed unease.
“He’s got to reconcile what he said during his confirmation process with what we’ve seen over the past few months, particularly on vaccine policy,” said fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Medical Groups Demand Resignation
The response from the medical community has been sharp. The Infectious Diseases Society of America, joined by 20 other organizations, issued a statement Wednesday urging Kennedy to step down.
“Our country needs leadership that will promote open, honest dialogue, not disregard decades of lifesaving science, spread misinformation, reverse medical progress and decimate programs that keep us safe,” the coalition said.
Prominent organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics also condemned Kennedy’s actions, warning that reduced vaccination rates could trigger a resurgence of preventable diseases.
Political Fallout Looms
Kennedy’s stance is under bipartisan scrutiny. While some Republicans back his critiques of pandemic-era restrictions, others remain wary of his anti-vaccine reputation.
With the CDC facing leadership gaps and mounting criticism, the administration’s approach to public health policy is poised to remain a central flashpoint in Washington—testing Kennedy’s political resilience and the nation’s trust in its health institutions.
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