The President praised the effectiveness of vaccines, putting him at odds with RFK Jr., who has faced mounting criticism over recent policy changes.
President Donald Trump publicly broke with his Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Friday, offering a firm endorsement of vaccines and expressing concern over Kennedy’s recent efforts to alter vaccine mandates.
The surprising split came during an Oval Office meeting when a reporter asked the President about Kennedy’s controversial policy changes, which have been widely criticized for limiting which children are eligible for certain vaccines.
“I think you have to be very careful when you say that some people don’t have to be vaccinated,” President Trump said of Kennedy’s policies. “They’re just, pure and simple—they work. They’re not controversial at all. And I think those vaccines should be used.”
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The President’s remarks stand in stark contrast to the actions of his Health Secretary. Kennedy has faced widespread condemnation from medical professionals and lawmakers for a recent shake-up at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and for his alterations to vaccine recommendations, which critics say undermine years of established public health policy.
The public divergence highlights a complex history for the President regarding vaccines.
While he expressed skepticism in the early days of Operation Warp Speed—the 2020 initiative to fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine—he later praised the vaccine as a “medical miracle” that could “save millions of lives.”
More recently, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Trump deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the vaccine’s development.
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However, the President has also previously shared theories about a link between vaccines and autism and has consistently opposed vaccine mandates. Earlier this year, he signed an executive action that eliminated federal funding for COVID-19 vaccine mandates in schools, citing the low risk of serious illness for young people.
This comes after a heated exchange erupted on Thursday during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, pitting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. against Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden over the nation’s childhood health crisis.
The confrontation centered on who bears responsibility for the significant increase in chronic diseases among American children.
Accusations and Counter-Accusations
Sen. Wyden initiated the sharp critique, accusing Secretary Kennedy of jeopardizing children’s health by allowing “conspiracy theories to dictate this country’s health policy.”
He questioned Kennedy’s lack of regret and demanded to know how many “preventable child deaths are an acceptable sacrifice” for his agenda, which Wyden characterized as “fundamentally cruel.”
Kennedy fired back, turning the tables on Wyden. The HHS Secretary pointed out the senator’s long tenure in office—”20, 25 years”—during which, Kennedy stated, childhood chronic disease rates surged to 76%.
“You said nothing! You never asked the question why it’s happening,” Kennedy retorted, directly linking the issue to the senator’s long-term inaction. He further noted that infant mortality has increased for the first time in two decades, a trend he attributed to policies from the previous administration that he plans to reverse.
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A Broader Context of Ultra-Processed Foods
The debate unfolded against the backdrop of a recent HHS report, which identifies ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as a primary driver of the decline in children’s health. According to the May report, nearly 70% of a child’s calories now come from UPFs, which are linked to a rise in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
The report also highlights the significant lobbying efforts of the chemical-manufacturing industry, which spent an estimated $77 million in 2024. This context adds weight to Kennedy’s claims, suggesting that the crisis is tied not just to recent policy but to long-standing issues within the food industry and its influence on federal policy.
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Further intensifying the pressure on Kennedy, his nephew, former U.S. congressman Joe Kennedy III, called for his resignation on Friday, calling him “a threat to the health and well-being of every American.”
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