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Democrat Fetterman says RFK Jr. confirmation as HHS secretary ‘not a slam dunk’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is “not a slam dunk,” as President Donald Trump’s nominee works to shore up support.

In an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Fetterman said he has met with Kennedy twice in his office and that whatever his decision ends up being on the HHS nominee, it will be “an informed view.”

“I’ve invested a lot of time to really understand his background and to learn more about the man,” Fetterman said, adding: “I approached with an open mind and I watched the hearing. And that’s how the process works.”

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS AHEAD OF CRUCIAL CONFIRMATION VOTES

Sen. John Fetterman during the 60th presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Asked if he’s reached a decision on whether he’ll vote “yay” or “nay” for Kennedy, Fetterman said he has spoken to colleagues on both sides regarding the matter.

“It’s been challenging for sure. Absolutely. It’s certainly not a slam dunk for the nomination,” Fetterman told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream.

“I’ve made an investment to really understand and talk to all of the nominees, and I treated everyone with respect and I took the time to listen, and that’s been part of my commitment,” he added.

Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat who switched his presidential campaign against Biden to run as an Independent before ultimately dropping from the race to back Trump, made it through back-to-back grillings by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health Committee on Thursday. He still faces crucial committee and full Senate confirmation votes in his mission to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

VP VANCE MAKES CONFIRMATION PREDICTIONS FOR GABBARD, PATEL AND RFK, JR: ‘HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EACH ONE’

Most of the tough questions and sparring over his stances on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and other issues came from Democrats on the two committees, but Thursday’s hearing ended with the top Republican on the Health panel saying he was “struggling” with Kennedy’s nomination.

“Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told the nominee.

The physician from Louisiana, who is a crucial vote and who has voiced concerns over Kennedy’s past stance on vaccines, asked whether Kennedy can “be trusted to support the best public health.” The senator told Kennedy, who seeks to lead key health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that “you may be hearing from me over the weekend.”

Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert Kennedy Jr. walks to a meeting with Sen. John Fetterman on Capitol Hill on Jan. 9, 2025. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on the pharmaceutical and food industries have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

A strong pro-life advocate, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told “Fox News Sunday” that he is supporting Kennedy despite the nominee’s past comments saying he supported codifying Roe v. Wade and abortion “even if it’s full term.”

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“I am now OK to supporting RFK Jr. because I think during the course of the hearing he’s committed to a Republican pro-life agenda, President Trump’s pro-life agenda,” Graham said when asked about those specific past remarks from Kennedy. “So I will take him at his word. I’m comfortable with what he said on the pro-life issue. He has been radically pro-choice as a person. But I do believe that as secretary, he will implement a pro-life agenda that will be pushed by President Trump. I will be a yes, but I’ll also watch every move he makes.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 2, 2025
Trump health secretary nominee RFK Jr survives heated hearings ahead of crucial confirmation votes

The back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings are over.

But Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), still faces crucial committee and full Senate confirmation votes in his mission to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health.

Testifying in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health Committee on Thursday, the vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments.

And while most of the tough questions and sparring over his stances on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and other issues, came from Democrats on the two committees, Thursday’s hearing ended with the top Republican on the Health panel saying he was “struggling” with Kennedy’s nomination.

RFK’S CONFIRMATION HEARING QUICK GOES OFF THE RAILS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for HHS secretary, testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions confirmation hearing on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

“Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy told the nominee.

The physician from Louisiana, who is a crucial vote and who has voiced concerns over Kennedy’s past stance on vaccines, asked whether Kennedy can “be trusted to support the best public health.”

And the senator told Kennedy, who seeks to lead key health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that “you may be hearing from me over the weekend.”

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Kennedy faced two days of grilling over his controversial past comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

And Democrats have also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

One of Thursday’s most heated exchanges came as independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont pushed Kennedy over his past of linking vaccines to autism.

Sanders stated that “vaccines do not cause autism” and asked Kennedy “do you agree with that?”

After the nominee didn’t answer, Sanders responded, “I asked you a simple question, Bobby.”

Kennedy replied, “Senator, if you show me those studies, I will absolutely … apologize.”

“That is a very troubling response because the studies are there. Your job was to have looked at those studies as an applicant for this job,” Sanders said.

Later in the hearing, the two also clashed over political contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, with Kennedy referring to Sanders simply as “Bernie.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)

“Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry and protecting their interests,” Kennedy said.

Sanders immediately pushed back, “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC [political action committee] money from the pharmaceutical [companies]. They came from workers.”

Another fiery moment came as Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire appeared to fight back tears as she noted her son’s struggles with cerebral palsy amid accusations that “partisanship” was behind the Democrats’ blistering questions to Kennedy.

Hassan, who at Wednesday’s hearing charged that Kennedy “sold out” to Trump by altering his position on abortion, on Thursday accused the nominee of “relitigating settled science.”

But many of the Republicans on the panel came to Kennedy’s defense, including conservative Sen. Rand Paul.

The ophthalmologist from Kentucky defended Kennedy and took aim at comments about vaccines not causing autism.

“We don’t know what causes autism, so we should be more humble,” Paul said to applause from Kennedy supporters in the committee room audience wearing “Make America Healthy Again” garb.

The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

Now-President Donald Trump welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a campaign rally on Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

“Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,” Kenendy said Thursday as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.”

The Finance Committee, which will decide on whether to send Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate, has yet to schedule a date for a confirmation vote.

With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation.

And besides Cassidy, two other Republicans on the Health Committee – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – are potential “no” votes on Kennedy.

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Collins on Thursday questioned Kennedy about vaccines, herd immunity as well as his views on Lyme disease. Kenendy pledged that there’s “nobody who will fight harder for a treatment for Lyme disease.”

A 50-50 vote in the full Senate would force Vice President JD Vance to serve as the tiebreaker to push the Kennedy nomination over the top, as the vice president did last week with the confirmation of another controversial nominee, now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 31, 2025
Senate advances Trump’s energy secretary nominee to final confirmation vote

The Senate Thursday evening advanced President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Energy to a final confirmation vote.

The vote was 62-35.

Chris Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Inc., an energy industry service provider based in Colorado, was tapped by the 47th president to head the Department of Energy under his administration.

The Trump nominee has received bipartisan support for his nomination, being introduced by a Democrat, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month.

The Senate held a late-night cloture vote for Wright, to end discussion over his nomination.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LEOFFLER PLEDGES TO DONATE SALARY TO CHARITY IF CONFIRMED

Chris Wright, chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc. and U.S. energy secretary nominee, speaks during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Al Drago)

The cloture vote passed with bipartisan support, meaning Wright will advance to a final Senate vote, likely to take place on Friday.

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Wright, during his confirmation hearing, said he had identified three “immediate tasks” where he would focus his attention: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs and increasing production in America.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Democrats press Army secretary nominee if ‘readiness’ will be affected by southern border deployments

Democrats sounded off about the White House sending U.S. troops to the southern border, but Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll insisted that he did not believe it would affect readiness.

“Is there a cost in terms of readiness?” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat in the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked Driscoll during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

“The Army has a long, 249 history of balancing multiple objectives,” Driscoll said. “If this is important to the commander-in-chief, the Army will execute it.”

“I think border security is national security,” he went on. “We’ve had soldiers at the border for a number of years, and the Army stands ready for any mission.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also voiced concerns about sending the military to the U.S. border.

“We’re seeing now active duty military, Army, be sent to the border, being sent on missions right now to support DHS,” she said. “But according to our Constitution, the US military active duty cannot perform law enforcement roles.”

ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT

U.S. soldiers patrol the US-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 24, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Slotkin, a former CIA agent, said she was concerned that without proper training an incident could occur that would turn public opinion against the nation’s armed forces.

“I’m deeply concerned that active duty troops are going to be forced into law enforcement roles, and we’re already hearing stories that really, really touch right on the line,” she said.

“They’re not properly trained. There’s going to be an incident,” she said. “Someone’s going to get hurt, there’s going to be some sort of blow up, and suddenly we’re going to have a community that’s deeply, deeply angry at uniformed military who were just told to go and drive those DHS vehicles through that building, perform support for somebody.”

Slotkin asked Driscoll if he would follow an order from President Donald Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if it “contravened with the Constitution.”

“I reject the premise that the president or the secretary would ask for an order like that, but I will always follow the law,” Driscoll said.

HEGSETH SHARES DETAILS ON BLACK HAWK CHOPPER TRAINING FLIGHT

Slotkin shot back: “Your predecessor, Army Secretary [Mark] Esper, had this exact thing that he wrote about in his book, 82nd Airborne Army was asked to come in and clean up a peaceful protest in Washington, DC. So I reject your rejection that this is theoretical.”

“We’re counting on you to protect the integrity of a non-political military that is not trained in law enforcement roles.”

Daniel Driscoll, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of the Army, said: “I think border security is national security.” (AP)

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA agent, said she was concerned that without proper training an incident could occur that would turn public opinion against the nation’s armed forces. (Reuters)

Immediately upon taking office, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and 1,500 active duty troops — 1,000 Army personnel and 500 Marines — deployed to the southern border.

There already were 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. The troops were ordered there in May 2023 during the Biden administration under Title 10 authorities approved by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and are planned to be there until the end of fiscal year 2025, according to a U.S. Northern Command spokesperson.

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“Whatever is needed at the border will be provided,” Hegseth said Monday, hinting at the possibility of additional deployments in the coming weeks.

Trump also signed an executive order designating drug cartels in Latin America as foreign terrorist organizations, granting the military greater authority to interdict them.

January 30, 2025
Trump press secretary attacked by California House Democrat: ‘Fake Christian’

A first-term House Democrat is attacking White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on X after she sought to clarify a White House memo rescinding an earlier policy statement on President Donald Trump’s federal funding order.

“Karoline Leavitt is a Fake Christian, like so many in this Golden Calf administration,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., wrote on Wednesday.

It comes after the White House rescinded an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that ordered the freeze of most federal grants and assistance, which was blocked by a federal judge on Tuesday.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS

Freshman House Democrat Rep. Dave Min criticized Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

Leavitt posted on X that it was just the memo that had been rescinded, and that Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and other progressive spending priorities remained intact.

“This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court’s injunction,” she wrote.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING

President Donald Trump’s OMB issued a memo pausing most federal funding. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign/File)

“The President’s EOs on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.”

Min’s comments were directed at Leavitt’s aforementioned post.

Earlier, the California Democrat criticized Leavitt’s comments at a White House press briefing in which she said, “DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer dollars.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing on Tuesday. (AP)

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Min mocked the senior Trump aide, claiming she was making those remarks “while wearing a giant cross to let everyone know how pious and moral she is, even as she is so comfortable stating a bald-faced lie to hundreds of millions of people.”

He told Fox News Digital in request for further comment, “As a person of faith, I find it appealing that this administration uses religion to advance an agenda while lying through their teeth about what they are doing, allowing children to go to bed hungry, depriving veterans of their earned healthcare, and slashing funding for the police and first responders.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Leavitt for comment.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

January 29, 2025
Trump Commerce secretary pick vows to sell all his business interests if confirmed

Kudlow panelists Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., unpack the president-elects economic team picks and ideas.

President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Commerce, billionaire Howard Lutnick, says he will sell all of his business interests if confirmed in order to prevent any conflicts of interest.

Howard Lutnick testifies during his Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

“My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest – meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything,” Lutnick, the CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgeral said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

HOWARD LUTNICK, TRUMP COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK, SAYS IT’S ‘NONSENSE’ THAT TARIFFS CAUSE INFLATION

“I’ve worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we’ve reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation,” he told the committee. “So I should have no business interests, therefore no conflicts of interest.”

Howard Lutnick has vowed to divest all his business holdings within 90 days if he is confirmed to lead the Commerce Department. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lutnick’s pledge would be no small feat to carry out. The Associated Press noted that his financial disclosures show he has positions at more than 800 businesses and other private entities.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, HIS ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS: THEIR SALARIES

Lutnick, 63, joined Cantor Fitzgerald fresh out of college and has led the firm since 1991. But he said it will be time to pass the baton if he is confirmed to lead the Commerce Department.

Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick attend Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald on Sept. 12, 2016, in New York City.

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“I made the decision that I’ve made enough money in my life. I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family,” Lutnick told the committee, adding, “It is now my chance to serve the American people. And so, upon confirmation, my businesses will be for sale and someone else will lead them going forward.”

January 29, 2025
Howard Lutnick, Trump Commerce secretary pick, says it’s ‘nonsense’ that tariffs cause inflation

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department Howard Lutnick told senators the argument that tariffs cause inflation is “nonsense” during a confirmation hearing.

“The two top countries with tariffs, India and China, do have the most tariffs and no inflation,” Lutnick noted.

“A particular product’s price may go up,” he conceded, while arguing that levies would not cause broad inflation. “It is just nonsense to say that tariffs cause inflation. It’s nonsense.”

Lutnick testified before members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday ahead of an impending committee and full Senate floor vote to confirm him to the Cabinet position.

Inflation, which ticked as high as 9.1% in June 2022 under the Biden administration, became a defining issue in the 2024 election as Trump promised to bring household prices back down.

Lutnick also said he prefers “across-the-board” tariffs on a “country-by-country” basis, rather than ones aimed at particular sectors or products.

A VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S ‘FAFO’: HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION

Howard Lutnick, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be commerce secretary, testifies before a Senate Commerce Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

“I think when you pick one product in Mexico, they’ll pick one product. You know, we pick avocados, they pick white corn, we pick tomatoes, they pick yellow corn. All you’re doing is picking on farmers.”

“Let America make it more fair. We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better,” Lutnick went on.

“We can use tariffs to create reciprocity.”

He said Trump, a longtime friend, was of a “like mind” that tariffs need to be simple.

“The steel and aluminum had 560,000 applications for exclusions,” said Lutnick. “It just seems that’s too many.”

Trump recently signed an executive order directing the Commerce Department and the office of the US Trade Representative to conduct a review of U.S. trade policy and tariff models, with a focus on China. Trump has said he intends to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 amid concerns of mass migration and drug trafficking. He also said he would increase tariffs on China by 10%.

Lutnick also sounded off about Europe treating U.S. industry unfairly.

AOC ROASTED OVER POST ABOUT COLOMBIA TARIFFS AND COFFEE PRICES THAT ‘AGED LIKE HOT MILK’

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks next to CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

“I think our farmers and ranchers and fishermen are treated with disrespect overseas,” he said.

“Europe, for example, comes up with all these sort of policies, that our ranchers can’t sell steak. If you if you saw European, steer and an American steer, it’s laughable. The American steers are three times this size. The steaks are so much more beautiful.”

“But they make up this nonsensical set of rules so that our ranchers can’t sell there.”

Lutnick said Chinese tariffs “should be the highest.” “But the fact that we Americans cannot sell an American car in Europe is just wrong. And it needs to be fixed.

Trucks travel across the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo, Texas, U.S., on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Photographer: Callaghan O’Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“While they’re an ally, they are taking advantage of us and disrespecting us. And I would like that to end.”

His comments echoed those of Trump last week.

“The European Union is very, very bad to us,” he said. “So they’re going to be in for tariffs. It’s the only way … you’re going to get fairness.”

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The governments of Mexico, Canada and nations in Europe have prepared a list of their own U.S. imports that will face tariffs in a tit-for-tat trade war if Trump follows through on taxing their own goods as they’re brought into the U.S.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said Monday that European nations needed to united to use their collective economic force against the U.S. if needed.

“As the United States shifts to a more transactional approach, Europe needs to close ranks,” she said at a news conference in Brussels. “Europe is an economic heavyweight and geopolitical partner.”

January 29, 2025
Scoop: Trump HHS secretary nominee RFK Jr to stress he’s not ‘anti-vaccine’ at confirmation hearing

EXCLUSIVE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will emphasize that he is not “anti-vaccine” when he appears Wednesday in Congress at the first of two straight days of Senate confirmation hearings.

“I want to make sure the Committee is clear about a few things. News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety,” Kennedy will say in his opening statement in front of the Senate Finance Committee.

The statement was shared first with Fox News ahead of the appearance by Kennedy, who, if confirmed, would have control over 18 powerful federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

And Kennedy will emphasize he’s not “the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture and national security … I want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash American ingenuity.”

HOW KENNEDY MAY BE TARGETED OVER HIS VACCINE VIEWS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

The hearing, as well as a Thursday hearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (a courtesy hearing as only the Senate Finance Committee will vote on Kennedy’s confirmation), are expected to be contentious because of Kennedy’s controversial vaccine views, including his repeated claims linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

Kennedy also served for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

THE TAKE ON KENNEDY’S CONFIRMATION FROM FOX NEWS’ SENIOR MEDICAL ANALYST

After Trump’s convincing November presidential election victory, Kennedy has said he won’t “take away anybody’s vaccines.”

And in his opening statement at his confirmation hearing, Kennedy will spotlight that “all of my kids are vaccinated, and I believe vaccines have a critical role in healthcare.”

But he will also say, “In my advocacy, I have disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I won’t apologize for that. We have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly.”

HHS is a massive federal department, with approximately 90,000 people and an annual budget of roughly $1.7 trillion. And Kennedy has said he wants to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the root causes of chronic diseases, which has garnered some bipartisan support in Congress.

Kennedy has said he would aim to overhaul dietary guidelines and take aim at ultra-processed foods, among other initiatives.

“American farms are the bedrock of our culture and national security,” Kennedy is expected to say in his opening statement. “I want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash American ingenuity.”

He will warn that “the United States has worse health than any other developed nation, yet we spend far more on healthcare — at least double; and in some cases, triple.”

TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

And he will “thank President Trump for entrusting me to deliver on his promise to make America healthy again.”

“Should I be so privileged to be confirmed, we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods. We will scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply. We will remove the financial conflicts of interest in our agencies. We will create an honest, unbiased, science-driven HHS, accountable to the President, to Congress, and to the American people. We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to health,” Kennedy is expected to say.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands alongside a bust of his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, outside City Hall in Nashua, N.H., on June 20, 2023. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser )

The 71-year-old Kennedy, the longtime environmental activist and crusader who is the scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against then-President Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a Turning Point Action campaign rally on Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Opposition to Kennedy’s nomination has been fierce, with advocacy groups running ad campaigns urging senators to vote against his confirmation.

Kennedy, in his opening statement, will “thank my wife Cheryl, who is with us here today; and all the members of my large extended family, for the love that they have so generously shared. Ours has always been a family devoted to public service, and I look forward to continuing that legacy.”

But many members of the Kennedy family were very vocal in their opposition to his primary challenge against Biden as well as his independent White House run.

And on the eve of his confirmation hearing, his well-known cousin, Caroline Kennedy, sent a letter to senators on Tuesday that charged Kennedy as one who “preys on the desperation of parents and sick children” and whose actions “have cost lives.”

She seemed to be referring to Kennedy’s connection to a measles outbreak in 2019 in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, where 83 people died.

Among those vocal in their opposition to Kennedy is Democrat Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, a former emergency room physician who traveled to Samoa to help treat the deadly measles outbreak, including vaccinating tens of thousands of individuals.

“Our people deserve a Health and Human Services Secretary who champions science, supports vaccines, and is committed to lowering costs while safeguarding health care access,” the governor said in a statement. “Mr. Kennedy’s lack of experience raises serious concerns about the future of critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid.”

It’s not just Democrats who have issues with Kennedy.

Social conservative Republicans aiming to curtail abortion rights take issue with his past comments in support of abortion rights.

On the eve of the confirmation hearing, former Vice President Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom public advocacy group launched a modest ad campaign opposing Kennedy based on his abortion views.

“We need leadership that defends life and protects the most vulnerable—not radical policies that undermine our values,” the group wrote in a social media post.

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Kennedy met with senators again on Tuesday, on the eve of his confirmation hearing, but didn’t take shouted questions from reporters.

But veteran Trump administration official Katie Miller told Fox News Digital that Kennedy’s “prepared and excited” for the hearings.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 29, 2025
White House press secretary defends Trump’s purge of government watchdogs

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended the legality of President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of at least 17 inspectors general, telling reporters that the administration is confident that the oustings, ordered across nearly every major federal agency, would survive any potential challenges in court.

Speaking to reporters for the first time from the podium of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Leavitt defended Trump’s decision to fire, without warning, the inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency – an abrupt and unprecedented purge that shocked many outside observers.

Asked about the terminations Tuesday, Leavitt doubled down on Trump’s argument that the president is well within his power to fire the independent watchdogs, regardless of their Senate-confirmed status.

Trump’s firings of the inspectors general included watchdogs for the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, as well as the EPA, among others.

“It is the belief of this White House and the White House counsel’s office that the president was within his executive authority” to do so, Leavitt said Tuesday.

‘BLATANTLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: US JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP’S BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speak to reporters on Air Force One, Jan. 27, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, she added, “is the executive of the executive branch, and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to.”

Leavitt then referenced a 2020 Supreme Court decision, Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which ruled that the CFPB’s agency structure violates the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution.

“I would advise you to look at that case, and that’s the legality that this White House was resting on,” Leavitt said.

Asked by the reporter whether the Trump administration believed its order would survive a lawsuit or court challenge from the former inspectors general, Leavitt responded affirmatively.

“We will win in court,” she said decisively, before moving on.

The remarks come as Trump’s Friday night terminations have sparked deep concern from lawmakers. The terminations were criticized by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, who noted that the independent watchdogs were created to identify and root out government waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct.

Many of the individuals fired were also installed during Trump’s first term.

Lawmakers have noted that Trump ordered the terminations without notifying Congress of his intent to do so at least 30 days in advance, as required for the Senate-confirmed roles.

TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference at the White House on Jan. 28, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A group of House Democrats criticized the action in a letter this week as “unethical,” arbitrary and illegal.

“Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently,” reads the letter, signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Maxine Waters, Adam Smith, Bennie Thompson and Gregory Meeks, among others.

Tuesday’s briefing is the first conducted by Leavitt as White House press secretary. At 27, she is the youngest person in White House history to serve in the role.

It is unclear how often Leavitt will hold press briefings.

Her role was announced in November by Trump, who praised the “phenomenal job” she did as his campaign and transition spokesperson.

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” Trump said in a statement announcing her role. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.”

Trump’s first term saw several White House advisers and communications aides, who struggled at times to communicate the views of a president who frequently opted to share his views directly via public rallies, briefings and social media posts.

Trump’s first term saw several White House advisers and communications aides. (Getty Images | Fox News’s Emma Woodhead)

This prompted high-profile clashes with some of the individuals tasked with officially communicating his views.

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Trump’s most recent White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, did not hold a single press briefing during her time in office. Famously, former White House communications aide Anthony Scaramucci served in his post for just 11 days.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.

January 28, 2025
White House press secretary says all illegal immigrants are criminals

The White House on Tuesday clarified that all the illegal immigrants arrested by federal immigration authorities in recent days “are criminals,” as far as the Trump administration is concerned.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was taking questions during her first press briefing since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last week when she was asked about the mass arrests.

“The 3,500 arrests that ICE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement) has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally,” one reporter asked.

FIRST IMAGES OF ICE MASS DEPORTATION EFFORTS SHOW ARRESTS OF MS-13 GANG MEMBERS, MURDER SUSPECTS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

“All of them, because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and therefore, they are criminals as far as this administration goes,” Leavitt replied. “I know the last administration didn’t see it that way. So it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that’s exactly what they are.”

The reporter then asked if they all have criminal records.

“If they broke our nation’s laws, yes, they are a criminal,” Leavitt said.

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

A suspected criminal alien is processed by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents. (ERO Atlanta)

Federal immigration authorities have arrested thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly targeting those with criminal records, since Trump took office.

On Sunday alone, ICE arrested 1,000 people and lodged 554 detainers.

A person is detained by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

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Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers will rise in coming weeks as the administration expands its operations.

January 28, 2025