A recent report has brought to light controversial remarks made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. In unearthed comments dating back as far as 2013, Kennedy compared the actions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to atrocities committed in “Nazi death camps.”
The bombshell report, published Wednesday by NBC News, highlighted statements Kennedy made at the AutismOne conference, an event attended by parents of children with autism. During the conference, Kennedy criticized the CDC and vaccine programs, alleging that institutional priorities overshadow the well-being of children.
“The word ‘fascism’ in Italian means a bundle of sticks, and what it means is the bundle is more important than the sticks,” Kennedy told the audience. “The institution, CDC, and the vaccine program are more important than the children that it’s supposed to protect.”
Kennedy went further, likening the CDC’s actions to other institutional scandals, such as the Catholic Church’s mishandling of child abuse cases. “It’s the same reason we had a pedophile scandal in the Catholic Church,” he said, accusing leaders of prioritizing the institution over the victims. “That is the perfect metaphor for what’s happening to us. There have to be parents who stand up and say, ‘We don’t give a s—.'”
In his harshest criticism, Kennedy referred to the CDC as a “cesspool of corruption” and claimed its actions harm children “similar to Nazi death camps.” Neither Kennedy nor Trump’s transition team responded to NBC News’ requests for comment on the revelations.
Kennedy’s nomination has already sparked intense debate, as he has been widely criticized for promoting vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories. Among his controversial claims is the assertion that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” as well as allegations that the federal government orchestrated the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently championed vaccines as one of the most effective tools in preventing disease. “Childhood vaccines save 3.5 to 5 million lives every year,” the WHO states, adding that COVID-19 vaccines alone saved an estimated 14.4 million lives globally in 2021.
As Kennedy prepares to potentially lead a department overseeing a quarter of federal government spending, his past remarks are fueling intense scrutiny of his suitability for the role, raising questions about the future direction of U.S. public health policy.