For some strange reason, Health Secretary Robert Kennedy feels invincible and on top of the world after midterm elections that flipped both houses and gave Democrats the biggest congressional majorities in decades. RFK Jr. seems shockingly unbothered by the fact that almost all the Republicans that he campaigned for lost, demonstrating a sore lack of real political influence. And he’s positively esctatic ecstatic that Stephen Miller was promoted to White House Chief of Staff, claiming the universally reviled racist ghoul is the saving grace of the MAHA agenda who will “unleash the Kraken” after so many broken Trump promises. More bizarre still, the Secretary is boasting “the Senate no longer has any leverage over me.”
There’s just one little problem. Several powerful lawmakers are dying to hold RFK Jr accountable for his corruption spree and deliberate efforts that made Americans sick. Just this week, we learned Sen. Ron Wyden, the incoming chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks launched an investigation into evidence that Kennedy “unlawfully lied” to Congress about his 2019 trip to Samoa, and another into a quarter million dollars worth of gifts he took from a donor with a hidden agenda.
Meanwhile, Sen. Angus King and Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill to rein in conflicts of interest on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force after Kennedy personally appointed members who hold stock in drug and medical device companies, and two who own private practices that could profit from the panel’s recommendations. MAHA?
Pretending the Constitution and congressional subpoena powers don’t exist is a bold strategy, to be sure, but the investigations are coming, nonetheless.
Calley Means Cannot Be Serious: Former top HHS advisor Calley Means set tongues wagging this week with an aggressive post-midterm media blitz, airing his many grievances against former White House colleagues, including former Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Means’ message: Donald Trump and RFK Jr. have been unwitting victims of their aides focused on serving special interests over the MAHA agenda. What a steaming crock of malarkey that is. Means specifically cited the administration’s betrayal of MAHA over pro-glyphosate and flavored vape policy as examples of Trump being duped by aides influenced by corporate lobbyists. Let us stop you right there, Calley. First off, it’s well documented that both Trump and RFK Jr. are extremely agreeable to quid pro quos with toxic special interests at the expense of the American people. On glyphosate, Means claims Trump was totally shocked to hear about the SCOTUS decision letting makers of the harmful pesticide off the hook from liability – just months after Trump signed an executive order plowing the field for its increased production to enrich his big chemical donors, which RFK Jr immediately defended! Not to mention Trump’s top DOJ lawyers argued alongside the leading glyphosate maker before SCOTUS, and MAHA activists directly gave Trump an earful about his pesticide-friendly position in April. But, sure, Trump was totally blindsided by SCOTUS’ decision in June. On flavored vapes aimed at hooking children on nicotine, it’s widely reported that in May, RFK Jr. dutifully followed Donald Trump’s order to push FDA Commissioner Makary out the door for not moving ‘quickly enough’ to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products after a $5 million big tobacco check floated into a Trump SuperPAC and after a fancy golf course luncheon between Trump and big tobacco/vape lobbyists. Maybe Trump political strategist James Blair is on to something that Means is “making shit up for media attention.”
The Reckoning Nears on the Trump-RFK Anti-Vax Agenda. Next week, the Pan American Health Organization is set to reveal whether the United States has officially lost its measles elimination status for the first time in 26 years. The NYT says the data clearly indicates we already did. As Politico puts it, RFK Jr. is now on trial over America’s measles epidemic. As Protect Our Care has documented for months: no one will deserve more blame for it than Donald Trump and “most famous vaccine skeptic on the planet”, Secretary Kennedy.
In The News
Accountability Is Coming
- The Guardian: Senator opens investigation into evidence RFK Jr ‘unlawfully lied’ to Congress
- CNN: Top Democrat will investigate whether RFK Jr. lied to Congress
- Associated Press: Senators probe RFK Jr.’s Samoa trip testimony after AP and Guardian showed documents that refute it
- Stat: Senators introduce bill to curb conflicts of interest on preventive care panel
- The Hill: Democrats investigate RFK Jr, donor over expensive gifts
- Kentucky Public Radio: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear asks Trump to fire RFK Jr., citing measles resurgence
- Kentucky Lantern: Beshear tells Trump to nix RFK Jr., pick health secretary without ‘a worm in their brain’
- Associated Press: Democrats are weighing impeachment of RFK Jr. while courting his supporters
- CNN: Clyburn says Hegseth and RFK Jr. should be impeached
- USA Today: Bernie Sanders, Annie Andrews float impeaching RFK Jr.
- USA Today: Pete Hegseth stares down likely impeachment vote. And he’s not the only one
- CNN: Bernie Sanders says he’s ‘absolutely open to’ impeaching RFK Jr.
- MedPage Today: Will RFK Jr. Face Impeachment Under A New Congress
- Politico: A Kennedy critic atop oversight panel?
- Truthout: Democrats to RFK Jr.: Resign Now or Be Prepared to Testify Before Congress
- The Independent: RFK Jr will see his ‘head on a platter’ as Democrats target him when they take control of Congress
- MedPage Today (David Hackney): Opinion: Impeach and Remove RFK Jr.
Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Public Health Threats
Measles
- Bloomberg: Measles Forges a Deadly Trail Across America, Exposing Fractured Health System
- NBC: America defeated measles in 2000. Vaccine opposition brought it roaring back.
- Associated Press: The US and Mexico are on the verge of forfeiting a major health victory. Here’s what to know
- New York Times: America’s Measles Problem Has Reached Endemic Level
- The Guardian: ‘A tremendous step backwards’: US could lose measles elimination status under RFK Jr’s leadership
- Politico: In America’s measles epidemic, RFK Jr. is now on trial
- The New Republic: U.S. Hits Bonkers Measles High as RFK Jr.’s CDC Hides Death Totals
- NBC: As U.S. faces loss of measles-free status, health leaders rethink vaccine strategies
- Reuters: CDC chief says agency will not change measles response if US loses elimination status
- NPR: How word of mouth is helping an Amish community’s fight against measles
Other Public Health Threats
The War On Vaccines
- Med Page Today: HHS Vaccine Task Force Misses Report Deadline
- Washington Post: Childhood safety vaccine report remains in limbo
- ProPublica: An 11-Day-Old Baby Couldn’t Stop Bleeding. For Hours, the ER Didn’t Provide a Critical Vitamin Shot.
- Bloomberg (Lisa Jarvis): Vitamin K Refusal Puts Babies at Risk. RFK Jr. Isn’t Helping
- Nature: RSV vaccines slash infections: data show jabs’ staggering success against dangerous virus
Chaos and Cuts At HHS
- Stat: Two incoming lawmakers plan to defend health equity from Trump administration cuts
- Washington Sun: Heidi Overton’s Confirmation as FDA Commissioner Is in Doubt
- Stat: Cassidy sets key vote on Overton, even as he remains undecided on nominee to lead FDA
- NBC: Trump’s FDA pick faces Republican doubts as confirmation deadline nears
RFK’s Future
- New York Times: Kennedy’s Future: Will Democrats Try to Impeach Him, or Actually Work With Him?
- Washington Post: RFK Jr. says Senate GOP blocked his agenda, has lost ‘leverage’ post-midterms
- Raw Story: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vows to ‘unleash the Kraken’ with powerful new MAHA tool by his side
- End Points: RFK Jr. unleashed? New chief of staff infuses HHS secretary with confidence despite midterm losses
- Washington Sun: RFK Jr. May Be Finding a Stronger Foothold in Trump’s Administration
- Politico: Can Stephen Miller save MAHA?
- Politico: Stephen Miller’s appointment energizes RFK Jr. and his MAHA allies
- NBC: MAHA rejoices as Stephen Miller takes over as White House chief of staff
- Politico: Trump administration makes another push at MAHA priority
Corruption and Grift
- Wall Street Journal: Donor Who Bankrolled RFK Jr.’s Flights Also Hosted Him on His Yacht
- ProPublica: Firm Linked to Trump’s Sons Got Nearly $40 Million in Federal Contracts to Screen for Ebola and Other Diseases
- New York Times: Trump Chief of Staff Accused of Blocking Healthy-Food Policies to Attract Donations
- Politico: Former FDA head accuses Trump aides of bowing to industry
- Stat: Doctors on Kennedy’s influential preventive care panel have major conflicts of interest, filings reveal
- Bloomberg: RFK Jr.’s New Health Board Members Have Medical Stock Holdings
- Washington Post: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson accuses Trump administration of corruption
- Politico: Calley Means accuses Susie Wiles of interfering in hemp policy
- Axios: How a MAHA leader turned and torched the White House
- Politico: Top RFK Jr. ally bashes Trump admin after quitting
- Washington Examiner: Calley Means blames Susie Wiles and nepotism for stalling MAHA priorities
- Axios: How a MAHA leader turned and torched the White House
- MS Now: MAHA stands by Russell Brand following rape sentence
- Stat (Gavin Yamay): Opinion: What MAHA’s support for Russell Brand tells us about the movement
RFK, MAHA and the 2026 Elections
- CNN: MAHA makes its case to Democrats as blue wave crashes GOP alliance and threatens RFK Jr.
- The Guardian: ‘A complete repudiation’: public health won big in US midterm elections
- Axios: Democrats face a tough sell with MAHA voters
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