Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee to be Secretary of Well being and Human Providers, testifies in entrance of the Senate Well being, Schooling, 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 answer basic questions about U.S. foreign policy 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, due to this fact, be placed on a special vaccine schedule — and he additionally responded to these strains of questioning by stuttering, stammering, crashing and burning.
MORE: RFK Jr. Whitesplains How ‘Education’ Will Make Us Immune To Racism ‘Like The Avengers’
The worst half is, if current historical past is any indication, none of that obtrusive 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, due to this fact, much less in want of correct care.
On Thursday, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) grilled RFK Jr. about when he stated 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 best than ours.”
“Are you able to please clarify what you meant?” Alsobrooks requested RFK Jr..
“A collection of research, I believe most of them by Poland, present that to specific antigens that Blacks have a a lot stronger response. There’s variations in response to totally different merchandise by totally different races…,” RFK Jr. responded earlier than Alsobrooks reduce him off, as a result of — bruh…what?
From The Hill:
Kenney appeared to allude to the concept that Black folks want “fewer antigens” than white folks, one thing Alsobrooks rapidly deemed “harmful” rhetoric.
“Mr. Kennedy, with all due respect, that’s so harmful. Your voice could be a voice that folks would take heed to,” Alsobrooks stated.
Many research have proven racial bias within the medical system, affecting how Black Individuals are handled in comparison with white Individuals. A 2016 study revealed by the Nationwide Heart for Biotechnology Data discovered that amongst first 12 months medical college students, greater than 20 p.c consider 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 demise for Black Individuals.
This isn’t the primary time RFK Jr. revealed his bizarre obsession with Black immunity. Final 12 months, whereas he was nonetheless working for president, he tried to enchantment 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 “training.”
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 basically: Oh come on, there was completely a examine that stated it first!
From the LA Times:
“I didn’t say it was intentionally focused. I simply quoted an NIH-funded, revealed examine,” the nominee answered. Bennet stated he would take the reply as a sure.
RFK Jr. then rejected having stated “publicity to pesticides causes kids to turn into transgender,” that “African AIDS is a completely totally different illness to Western AIDS.” Bennet then stated he had the solutions on report and he would give them to Committee chair Mike Crapo.
RFK Jr. denied he stated all of the craziness he undoubtedly stated, however he was prepared to confess that he “most likely” stated Lyme illness is a “extremely possible militarily engineered bioweapons.”
“I most likely stated that,” RFK Jr. instructed Bennet.
However, OK, come on — so RFK Jr. is just a little racist and really a lot susceptible to spreading round any piece of conspiracy theory-laced medical misinformation from any pseudoscientific examine 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,” stated Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, after Kennedy struggled to reply a collection of questions on Medicare earlier than the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, 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 determine and clarify the basic facets of this system, which offers protection to older and disabled Individuals.
When requested what Medicare Half A is for, Kennedy stated it’s “primarily for main 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, stated it’s “for physicians and docs.” Half B is protection for a variety of medical providers equivalent to physician visits, outpatient care, residence well being, sure medical provides and preventive providers.
When requested what Medicare Half C is for, Kennedy known as it “the complete menu of all of the providers – 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 stated she needed to right 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 had been a Black girl — all the white, fragile and eternally racist MAGA world could 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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