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Right-wing media are split on RFK Jr.’s nomination to lead HHS

Written by Gideon Taaffe & Chloe Simon

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As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces a Senate vote to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, right-wing media are split on whether to support his nomination. 

Some claim the nominee — who has a long history of undermining scientific research and promoting health misinformation — is a “bipartisan” solution for “Making America Healthy Again,” while others have highlighted his past extremism, Democratic affiliations, and pro-abortion beliefs. Some right-wing media have also covered for Kennedy’s extremism in the past, largely ignoring his vaccination views.

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  • Kennedy has a history of pushing harmful policies and embracing extremism — and right-wing media have played cover for him

    • Right-wing media promoted Kennedy in an effort to harm Democrats during the 2024 primary. Right-wing media offered Kennedy glowing treatment when he was running against former President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, emphasizing his anti-establishment credentials. [Media Matters, 8/22/24]
    • After Kennedy dropped out of the race and subsequently endorsed now-President Donald Trump, Fox News whitewashed his extremism and promoted him to lead HHS. The network barely covered his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine and praised him for trying to “make our children healthy again.” [Media Matters, 8/27/24, 8/29/24]
    • Kennedy has repeatedly sowed doubt about vaccine efficacy and promoted fringe health conspiracy theories with little to no scientific backing. Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism, baselessly fearmongered about their other supposed dangers, and claimed COVID-19 was “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. [The Washington Post, 1/28/25; Media Matters, 7/17/23]
    • Kennedy has engaged with extremists with ties to QAnon and is close friends with a fringe commentator who has fearmongered about the “Jew World Order.” [Twitter/X, 4/5/23; Media Matters, 7/9/20, 11/2/24]

  • Some in right-wing media, including some Murdoch-owned outlets, have voiced opposition to Kennedy over his medical misinformation and Democratic past

    • The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board published an op-ed titled “Why RFK Jr. Is Dangerous to Public Health.” The Journal noted that Kennedy has “tried to soften” his anti-vax stance since his nomination but warned: “Senators would be wise to believe RFK Jr.’s career of spreading falsehoods rather than his confirmation conversions.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/25]
    • The editorial board of another Murdoch-owned outlet, The New York Post, also urged senators to vote no on Kennedy, calling him “hazardous to our health.” The board wrote that despite promises from the Trump administration to keep Kennedy in a “policy straitjacket … the only straitjacket suitable for RFK Jr. is a real one.” [New York Post, 1/27/25]
    • The National Review published an op-ed calling Kennedy a “left-wing menace.” The piece cited Kennedy’s previous support for abortion and claimed he is a “menace to the health of Americans.” The op-ed recently was recirculated by the Washington Examiner’s Kimberly Ross. [The National Review, 12/18/24; Twitter/X, 1/25/25]
    • Federalist writer Anna James Zeigler called Kennedy a “loon,” writing, “I hope RFK is not confirmed.” Ziegler continued, “I’m iffy on some of the nominations, but not this one.” [Twitter/X, 1/26/25] 
    • Talk radio host Erick Erickson suggested Kennedy should not be confirmed over his pro-choice comments. Erickson posted a video of Kennedy saying he will leave abortion decisions to “the woman” alongside a quote from Vice President JD Vance that “if you’re not willing to stand up to the left on abortion, you can’t be trusted on anything else. The pro-life position is the pro-people position and I’m proud to be 100% pro-life.” [Twitter/X, 1/27/25] 

  • Others in right-wing media, including some Fox figures, have supported Kennedy and downplayed his extremist views

    • Fox News senior medical analyst Marc Siegel claimed that Kennedy wants “to support our farmers and go back to organic food, farm to fork without the chemicals.” Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt then downplayed Kennedy’s vaccine views, saying he wants “transparency for vaccines.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/27/25]
    • Siegel appeared later in the day on The Faulkner Focus, where he said that he’s “all in on” Kennedy's “Make America Healthy Again” platform. Siegel also said Kennedy’s agenda should have “bipartisan support” and predicted several Democratic senators would vote for him. [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 1/27/25]
    • Fox’s Laura Ingraham dismissed concerns that Kennedy would ignore public health experts, saying, “The left is upset because, most of all, Trump is doing what he promised to do — fix large parts of our government, frankly all of it.” Siegel, her guest, once again praised Kennedy for trying to reverse obesity. [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 1/27/25]
    • Financial analyst Heather Zumarraga claimed on Fox News that Kennedy is going to “help … fight against mental health crisis in this country.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/27/25]
    • A Daily Caller piece claimed Kennedy’s “approach challenges us to move away from dependency on drugs and toward empowering individuals with strong, natural immunity” and that he “advocates for a health revolution that prioritizes prevention, natural wellness, and education.” The piece does not mention his stance on vaccines. [Daily Caller, 1/28/25] 
    • Newsmax’s Bianca de la Garza suggested Kennedy will bring “transparency when it comes to health,” citing his vaccine skepticism, but not his specific stances. Garza: “He's been, you know, all over talking about vaccines for a long, long time.” [Newsmax, Newsline, 1/27/25]