Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a medical doctor, said President-elect Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is “wrong” about vaccinations.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Cassidy said he looks forward to discussing the issue with Kennedy when they meet this week ahead of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Cassidy chairs.
“I will meet with him this coming week. I look forward to the interview. I agree with him on some things and disagree on others. The food safety, I think the ultra-processed food is a problem.”
“Vaccinations, he’s wrong on, and so I just look forward to having a good dialogue with him on that,” Cassidy added.
Cassidy did not say whether he expects to support Kennedy’s confirmation.
Asked about reports that some left-leaning senators – like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) – could back Kennedy’s potential nomination, Cassidy said he was not aware of how Democrats on his committee were eyeing Kennedy ahead of the confirmation hearing.
Kennedy is a longtime vaccine skeptic who said in 2023 that “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” He also created an anti-vaccine group called the Children’s Health Defense.