On Special Report, Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News contributor Jason Riley noted that Kennedy “has spent a lifetime spreading misinformation and enriching himself and trial lawyers by spreading this misinformation. I don’t think he’s the right person for the job.” 

The Wall Street Journal editorial page also called out Kennedy’s “clear conflict of interest” in making money on lawsuits against drug companies while head of HHS as flat-out “disqualifying”:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday to root out corruption between industry and government. Yet the man who wants to be the nation’s Secretary of Health and Human Services refused to rule out personally making money from lawsuits against drug makers. This ought to be disqualifying.

...

Mr. Kennedy’s disclosures show that he has received more than $2.5 million from law firms that have sued drug and vaccine makers. He also has a financial stake in a pending lawsuit against human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine maker Merck. Mr. Kennedy’s trial-lawyer ties and financial interests in litigation against drug makers pose a clear conflict of interest.

Indeed, Murdoch outlets like The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post have been some of the loudest critics of Kennedy's nomination, drawing criticism from the likes of Steve Bannon.

Nearly 100 million low-income Americans rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage, but it is one of many programs on the chopping block as Republicans prepare a massive bill aimed at cutting taxes for the rich. During his hearing, Kennedy showed ignorance of how Medicaid works. Perhaps the most devastating line of questioning came from a Republican senator:

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., repeatedly pressed Kennedy about proposed changes to the program and for his thoughts about Medicaid reform.

“Republicans, again, are looking at ways to potentially reform Medicaid to help pay for President Trump’s priorities,” Cassidy said. “What thoughts do you have regarding Medicaid reform?”

“Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy,” Kennedy responded. “The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow.”

A 2023 poll from KFF, a nonprofit group that researches health policy issues, found that a majority of Americans have “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” views of the program. He made similar comments about the Affordable Care Act.

People on Medicaid generally aren’t charged premiums or deductibles at all.

Kennedy also reportedly made false or misleading claims about vaccines, chronic disease in children, and even his own previous remarks — such as when he was caught on video in 2023 pushing the deranged conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was “targeted” to “attack Caucasians and Black people” and exclude Jewish and Chinese people.

Kennedy has a troubling history of pushing false claims about public health and safety. He long has argued that “autism comes from vaccines,” despite many peer-reviewed studies concluding there is no link.

In 2019, then the chairman of the anti-vaccine nonprofit Children Health’s Defense, Kennedy traveled to the country Samoa and seemingly took advantage of two babies’ deaths resulting from improperly administered measles vaccines to emphasize the supposed dangers of vaccines and discourage vaccination efforts. Eighty-three people died from measles and thousands were sickened in the outbreak that subsequently swept Samoa.

Despite Kennedy's record of pushing misinformation and his questionable performance in the hearing — and despite the record of criticism of Kennedy from Murdoch outlets — Fox News’ biggest hosts unabashedly celebrated his nomination after the first hearing: 

• Fox News host Will Cain condemned Democrats who criticized Kennedy: “It’s quite shocking to see some stand there today, defend the status quo, and destroy — attempt to destroy — a reformer.” He added that Kennedy “believes in a role for vaccines.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 1/29/25]
• The Five co-host Jeanine Pirro praised Kennedy as a “radical” who is “exactly who we need.” She also downplayed Democrats’ concerns about Kennedy’s nomination: “Why all of the sudden is this guy subjected to all kinds of craziness?” [Fox News, The Five, 1/29/25]
• While host Greg Gutfeld cautioned that Kennedy’s view on vaccines seem “more reliant on his gut instinct than science,” he still praised him, saying he’s “passionate, he’s persuasive, he’s open-minded,” and he's “not woke.” He noted that Kennedy “does raise good points” and “we need people to raise questions.” [Fox News, The Five, 1/29/25]
• Host Laura Ingraham argued that Democrats are “scrambling to take down the nomination of a true health care crusader.” She further defended Kennedy: “What RFK Jr. lacks in managerial experience, he makes up for with an unwavering dedication to improving America's spiraling health with more commonsense approaches.” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 1/29/25]
• Host Jesse Watters praised Kennedy as the “the only one with the skills, knowledge, and experience to get inside of this government and help America reverse this chronic disease epidemic.” He continued, “Our citizens voted to make America great and healthy again.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 1/29/25]
• Host Sean Hannity said Kennedy did an “amazing job on Capitol Hill.” He defended the nomination by claiming, “We can't be strong if our people are all sick.” [Fox News, Hannity, 1/29/25]