The 9 Worst RFK Jr. Decisions to Date
By every measure, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been — and continues to be — a disaster. His actions undermine scientific progress, public trust, and the health of millions. In a mere matter of months, his agenda has left lasting scars on America’s public health infrastructure, while reverberating globally by undoing decades of progress in vaccination and disease prevention.
While the atrocities of RFK Jr. are many (and well beyond what can be summarized in a single blog post), we at Stand Up For Science have selected the nine most atrocious. (And stay tuned: We may just decide to update this over and over again.)
RFK Jr.’s 9 Worst Choices Yet
9. Persistently Citing Non-Existent Research or Misquoting Research
From citing non-existent studies generated by the FDA’s AI tool “Elsa” to mischaracterizing real research on the COVID-19 vaccine, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly spread false claims. The MAHA Report, RFK’s manifesto for reshaping HHS, was riddled with mischaracterizations — and even citations to papers that do not exist. By federal research-integrity standards, inserting fabricated citations would be considered misconduct in any scientific context.
8. The Autism Registry Debacle
RFK Jr. initiated a proposal for an autism registry that drew swift backlash for potential privacy violations and echoes of eugenics. Although he’d later walk that back, he continues to pursue a “real-world data platform” without consent safeguards, stoking fears of surveillance and stigmatization. These fears are amplified by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s history of promoting harmful and misleading stereotypes about autism.
7. Gutting Science Jobs, Then Lying About It
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has overseen significant workforce reductions at HHS, already eliminating an estimated 20,000 positions. If that were not enough, RFK Jr. blatantly lied to Congress that “no working scientists” were fired; tell that to Richard Youle, a world-class, award winning Parkinson’s researcher whose job was cut.
6. Vaccine Lies and Misinformation
RFK Jr. has repeatedly misrepresented vaccines, including inflating the number of vaccines children receive; falsely claiming vaccines aren’t tested for safety; and demanding unnecessary placebo-controlled trials for already-established vaccines. In fact, vaccines already operate under a much higher safety threshold than other medical treatments, given they are administered to healthy patients, and thus require that any benefits substantially outweigh risks. As an example, measles infections cause roughly 8,000 times more hospitalizations than the MMR vaccine. This is why experts are sounding the alarm that these moves will significantly slow vaccine rollout and put children at risk.
5. Canceling $500 Million in mRNA Vaccine Research
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of $500 million in funding across 22 mRNA vaccine research projects, while falsely claiming these vaccines fail to effectively protect against upper respiratory infections — a lie, widely criticized by medical experts. The impact of this will not stop at respiratory vaccines; advances in mRNA cancer therapies have been built on the breakthroughs achieved during COVID-19 vaccine development, and cutting substantial funding from mRNA projects risks stalling that momentum.
4. Purging the CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Committee
In what appears to be a betrayal of promises made during his confirmation period, RFK Jr. disbanded the CDC’s expert vaccine advisory group (ACIP), replacing them with vaccine skeptics. One notable example is Robert Malone, who has publicly speculated — without evidence — that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines worsen infections, as well as questioned their safety and attacked their rapid approval. The ousted panelists have warned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul erodes the credibility of vaccine policy and public trust in immunization decisions.
3. Rolling Back the Affordable Care Act
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is directing sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act enrollment process. Specifically, by narrowing eligibility, shortening enrollment windows and eliminating automatic re-enrollment, he has placed an estimated 725,000 to 1.8 million people at risk of losing coverage. Furthermore, the cuts will fall hardest on transgender Americans, DACA recipients, and low-income families, marking one of the most significant setbacks to Obamacare’s coverage expansion since the law’s inception.
2. Slashing NIH Research and Programs
RFK Jr.’s drastic cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) include life-saving work like the infant safe-to-sleep campaigns and cancer clinical trials. Every cut to medical research puts lives at risk — from delays in clinical trials to cancellations of potentially breakthrough, life-saving research. Additionally, the disruption to grants erodes the foundation of a research ecosystem that sustains long-term progress.
1. Ending US Support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Perhaps Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s most devastating move was cutting off U S contributions to Gavi, the vaccine alliance that has helped vaccinate more than one billion children and prevent an estimated 18 million deaths worldwide. Experts have warned this RFK Jr. decision could cause over a million preventable child deaths — a humanitarian catastrophe — as humanitarian groups like including Doctors Without Borders have condemned it as “cruel and reckless.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Reign of Terror: A Synopsis
RFK Jr.’s record at HHS isn’t just bad policy. It’s malicious negligence dressed as reform: a mix of ideology, conspiracy and self-interest that leaves real American lives hanging in the balance. His cozy ties to the “wellness” industry and political grifters suggest his motives are not about protecting public health, but exploiting it for profit and power.
The Cost?
Pandemic preparedness decimated
Childhood lives cut short worldwide
Rising violence against public health workers
Corrosion of one of America’s most foundational federal agencies
The Solution
In light of the HHS secretary’s many atrocities, Stand Up For Science is calling for RFK Jr.'s impeachment and removal.
We urge you to add your voice (and signature) to the rapidly growing movement of activists and allies signing the Stand Up For Science petition!