Since being appointed by President Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a lot of unprecedented decisions while running the Department of Health and Human Services. Indeed, America’s newest health czar has largely thrown out all common wisdom when it comes to stuff like vaccines and whether you need a medical background to run the CDC.
Kennedy has rolled out countless bizarre and harmful policies at the HHS over the past year, including attacks on the agency’s vaccine program. Earlier this year, under his supervision, the agency fired thousands of staff. More recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saw many prominent staffers (including its director) step down in protest of Kennedy’s policies.
As a result of RFK Jr.’s bizarre behavior and policy decisions, a large number of health professionals have publicly criticized him and called into question the legitimacy of his leadership. The latest voices to express concern are six former U.S. Surgeons General, who penned an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Tuesday. The article warns that Kennedy’s policies pose a “profound, immediate and unprecedented threat” to the nation, and that the HHS head is putting at risk. The letter reads:
Over recent months, we have watched with increasing alarm as the foundations of our nation’s public health system have been undermined. Science and expertise have taken a back seat to ideology and misinformation. Morale has plummeted in our health agencies, and talent is fleeing at a time when we face rising threats — from resurgent infectious diseases to worsening chronic illnesses.
The letter continues:
Repairing this damage requires a leader who respects scientific integrity and transparency, listens to experts and can restore trust to the federal health apparatus. Instead, Kennedy has become a driving force behind this crisis.
The letter stresses the bipartisan nature of the signees, noting that they represent a group of professionals “appointed by every Republican and Democratic president since George H.W. Bush.” The signees include Jerome Adams, Richard Carmon, Joycelyn Elders, Vivek Murthy, Antonia Novello, and David Satcher. Murthy served under both Biden and Trump during his first term.
The former health leaders point specifically to Kennedy’s attacks on vaccine science as a clear and present sign that he is not fit to lead the agency tasked with regulating vaccines. The letter notes:
This year, as the United States faced its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, Kennedy de-emphasized vaccination and directed agency resources toward unproven vitamin therapies. The result: months-long outbreak, three preventable deaths and the first measles-related child death in the U.S. in over two decades.
More recently, Kennedy removed every member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing its scientific experts with individuals who often lacked basic qualifications, some of whom are vaccine conspiracy theorists. The new committee has already begun casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, despite decades of data affirming its effectiveness and strong safety profile.
The former health leaders are not alone. Over the past year, a variety of organizations have argued that Kennedy should be fired. Most recently, two separate psychiatric organizations said that RFK Jr. was unfit to serve, arguing that his decision to gut the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration had put lives at risk. Last month, over a thousand HHS staffers signed a letter to President Trump that stated that Kennedy had endangered “the nation’s health” and should be fired or forced to resign. Around the same time, 61 different health and advocacy organizations signed a separate letter similarly asking that Kennedy be let go. Earlier this year, nine former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked that Kennedy be fired, noting that Kennedy’s activities “should alarm every American, regardless of political leanings.” Gizmodo reached out to the HHS for comment.
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