Obama HHS Secretary Attacks RFK Jr., Claims His Leadership Could Be Deadly

Kathleen Sebelius, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under former President Barack Obama, launched a blistering attack on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to head the department in his upcoming administration. During an MSNBC interview, Sebelius claimed that Kennedy’s leadership at HHS “could end up killing people,” citing his vaccine skepticism as her central concern.

The inflammatory remarks are part of a broader left-wing backlash against Trump’s decision to appoint Kennedy, who has made health reform a cornerstone of Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative.

Sebelius Sounds the Alarm

Sebelius wasted no time in painting Kennedy as a dire threat to public health. “The HHS affects people from birth to their grave and is intimately connected with every state in the country. This could be very dangerous,” she declared.

She went on to say that Kennedy’s cautious stance on vaccines makes him “totally disqualifying” for the role. “To unequivocally say there is no safe and effective vaccine, that in and of itself, from the bully pulpit of HHS, could end up killing people,” Sebelius added.

Sebelius specifically highlighted her concerns about diseases like polio and measles, claiming Kennedy’s leadership would reverse decades of progress. “Having [my grandson] exposed to unvaccinated people with polio and measles is a terrifying thought,” she said, warning of “magnitudes of danger” if Kennedy assumes control of the department.

Kennedy Defends Himself

Kennedy has long pushed back against accusations of being “anti-vaccine,” calling the label a smear tactic meant to silence dissent. During a June 2023 NewsNation town hall, Kennedy explained his actual stance: “I’ve never been anti-vaccine. My position is that vaccines should be tested like other medicines. They should be safety tested.”

Kennedy’s concerns stem from what he describes as a lack of rigorous safety protocols for vaccines. He argues that vaccines, unlike other pharmaceuticals, are not subjected to the same level of safety testing, a claim he says resonates with many Americans.

The MAHA Agenda

Kennedy’s nomination to lead HHS aligns with Trump’s vision of restoring accountability and transparency in the nation’s public health agencies. The MAHA platform prioritizes scrutinizing harmful chemicals, pollutants, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to chronic disease epidemics across the U.S.

Trump recently reiterated his support for Kennedy, saying: “Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Alarmism or Legitimate Concern

Sebelius’s rhetoric reflects the Democratic Party’s unease with Kennedy’s willingness to challenge the establishment, particularly on health policies entrenched during the Obama-Biden era. But Kennedy’s approach has struck a chord with millions of Americans frustrated by what they see as unchecked government overreach and cronyism in public health.

As RFK Jr. prepares to take on one of the most consequential roles in Trump’s administration, his leadership promises to spark major debates over the direction of U.S. health policy. While critics like Sebelius predict doom, supporters see an opportunity to finally address decades of bureaucratic dysfunction.

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