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Joe Kennedy III Calls for RFK Jr. to Resign as HHS Secretary After Senate Hearing

The rare family rebuke follows a week of staff revolt during CDC upheaval triggered by leadership firings.

A pharmacy in the Brooklyn borough of New York advertises Covid-19 testing and vaccine does on September 4.
Demonstrators rally against the Trump administration's health care policies in front of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, on May 10.
A person wears a "Make America Healthy Again" t-shirt as they attend a confirmation hearing on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be secretary of Health and Human Services, on January 29.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 04: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee met to hear testimony on President Trump's 2026 health care agenda. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Joe Kennedy III said his uncle used Thursday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing to dismiss science, mislead the public, sideline experts and sow confusion.
  • More than 1,000 current and former HHS employees urged his removal in a letter accusing his leadership of compromising the nation’s health.
  • The firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez and changes to vaccine advisory structures preceded senior CDC resignations and renewed bipartisan criticism.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., described as a longtime vaccine skeptic, defended the shake-ups as reforms to restore trust and rejected claims he endangered public health.
  • Reaction widened Friday as Bill Maher said “he’s got to go,” while President Trump said Kennedy offers a “different take” worth hearing.