Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee to be Secretary of Well being and Human Providers, testifies in entrance of the Senate Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions Committee in Washington D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. | Supply: Anadolu / Getty
In in the present day’s episode of Trump’s MAGA DEI Administration, for 2 days, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for Well being and Human Providers (HHS) Secretary, sat by way of his affirmation listening to, and for 2 days he reminded us that the white conservative narrative across the ills of DEI is utilized to each demographic besides woefully underqualified white males.
Simply as Pete Hegseth, who was not too long ago confirmed to guide the Division of Nationwide Protection, was unable to reply fundamental questions on U.S. international coverage and the worldwide organizations we’re allied with, RFK Jr. struggled to reply fundamental questions any well being official ought to be capable to reply, such because the distinction between Medicare and Medicaid. Apart from that, RFK Jr. was grilled on each days about statements he’s made selling factless conspiracy theories and medical racism — such because the notion that Black folks have higher immune methods than white folks and will, subsequently, be placed on a distinct vaccine schedule — and he additionally responded to these strains of questioning by stuttering, stammering, crashing and burning.
MORE: RFK Jr. Whitesplains How ‘Training’ Will Make Us Immune To Racism ‘Like The Avengers’
The worst half is, if current historical past is any indication, none of that evident incompetence and ignorance will stop RFK Jr. from being confirmed.
Let’s begin with RFK Jr.’s name again to basic white supremacist medical racism — the narrative that Black persons are naturally extra resilient and, subsequently, much less in want of correct care.
On Thursday, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) grilled RFK Jr. about when he mentioned the next:
“We shouldn’t be giving Black folks the identical vaccine schedule that’s given to whites as a result of their immune system is healthier than ours.”
“Are you able to please clarify what you meant?” Alsobrooks requested RFK Jr..
“A sequence of research, I believe most of them by Poland, present that to explicit antigens that Blacks have a a lot stronger response. There’s variations in response to completely different merchandise by completely different races…,” RFK Jr. responded earlier than Alsobrooks minimize him off, as a result of — bruh…what?
From The Hill:
Kenney appeared to allude to the concept Black folks want “fewer antigens” than white folks, one thing Alsobrooks shortly deemed “harmful” rhetoric.
“Mr. Kennedy, with all due respect, that’s so harmful. Your voice can be a voice that oldsters would hearken to,” Alsobrooks mentioned.
Many research have proven racial bias within the medical system, affecting how Black People are handled in comparison with white People. A 2016 research revealed by the Nationwide Heart for Biotechnology Info discovered that amongst first yr medical college students, greater than 20 p.c imagine false claims that Black folks have a stronger immune system than white folks.
Outcomes of racial bias within the medical system have led to much less remedy, ache administration and even dying for Black People.
This isn’t the primary time RFK Jr. revealed his bizarre obsession with Black immunity. Final yr, whereas he was nonetheless working for president, he tried to attraction to Black voters by whitesplaining to them that they might be “immune” to racism “just like the Avengers” if they might simply get a greater “schooling.”
Thoughts you, on Day 1 of his affirmation listening to, RFK Jr. was questioned by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) about previous statements he has made claiming that “Covid-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that focused Black and White folks however spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese language folks.” As soon as once more, RFK Jr.’s response was primarily: Oh come on, there was completely a research that mentioned it first!
From the LA Occasions:
“I didn’t say it was intentionally focused. I simply quoted an NIH-funded, revealed research,” the nominee answered. Bennet mentioned he would take the reply as a sure.
RFK Jr. then rejected having mentioned “publicity to pesticides causes youngsters to grow to be transgender,” that “African AIDS is a completely completely different illness to Western AIDS.” Bennet then mentioned he had the solutions on report and he would give them to Committee chair Mike Crapo.
RFK Jr. denied he mentioned all of the craziness he undoubtedly mentioned, however he was keen to confess that he “in all probability” mentioned Lyme illness is a “extremely possible militarily engineered bioweapons.”
“I in all probability mentioned that,” RFK Jr. informed Bennet.
However, OK, come on — so RFK Jr. is a bit racist and really a lot liable to spreading round any piece of conspiracy theory-laced medical misinformation from any pseudoscientific research he comes throughout. That doesn’t imply he doesn’t have the medical data essential to serve within the nation’s high medical workplace, does it?
Oh wait, I forgot concerning the Medicare/Medicaid factor.
“You need us to substantiate you to be in control of Medicare, however it seems that you don’t know the fundamentals of this program,” mentioned Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, after Kennedy struggled to reply a sequence of questions on Medicare earlier than the Senate Committee on Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions.
Kennedy, 71, stumbled when answering questions on Medicare and Medicaid throughout each of his affirmation hearings this week. He appeared earlier than the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday.
Hassan, who sits on each panels, requested Kennedy on Thursday to clarify what every a part of Medicare is. However he struggled to establish and clarify the basic features of this system, which offers protection to older and disabled People.
When requested what Medicare Half A is for, Kennedy mentioned it’s “primarily for major care or physicians.” Hassan clarified that it’s protection for seniors who obtain inpatient care at hospitals.
Kennedy, when requested what Medicare Half B is, mentioned it’s “for physicians and medical doctors.” Half B is protection for a spread of medical companies similar to physician visits, outpatient care, residence well being, sure medical provides and preventive companies.
When requested what Medicare Half C is for, Kennedy referred to as it “the complete menu of all of the companies – A, B, C and D.” Hassan famous that Half C is also referred to as Medicare Benefit, that are privately run plans contracted by Medicare. These plans function a substitute for conventional Medicare plans.
Kennedy insisted that he “simply defined the fundamentals” of this system, however Hassan mentioned she needed to appropriate him on a number of issues.
Suffice it to say (however I’m going to say it anyway each time), if RFK Jr. weren’t a white man — and particularly if he have been a Black girl — your entire white, fragile and eternally racist MAGA world can be screaming “DEI nominee” from each rooftop they may discover.
However that logic can’t be utilized to white males, as a result of, clearly, their DEI allegation immune system is much better than Black folks’s.
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