Caroline Kennedy slams "predator" RFK Jr. on eve of confirmation hearing
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Caroline Kennedy testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 7, 2022. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Caroline Kennedy on Tuesday urged senators to reject her cousin's nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, saying Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "preys on the desperation of parents of sick children."
Why it matters: Caroline Kennedy's critique, laid out in a letter to senators a day before RFK Jr's confirmation hearings begin, could shore up Democratic opposition to his nomination.
- Caroline Kennedy described a "charismatic" man with a "willingness to take risks and break the rules," who encouraged family members into drug addiction.
- "His basement, his garage, and his dorm room were the centers of the action where drugs were available, and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks," she wrote in the letter, first reported by the Washington Post.
- "It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator."
The big picture: The Senate Finance Committee is set to hold a hearing Wednesday on RFK Jr's nomination, followed by a session Thursday with the Senate HELP committee.
- Democrats are likely to focus much of the hearings on Kennedy's history of vaccine criticism.
- It will also be a forum to see if any Republicans express concerns, and if any Democrats express openness.
- Kennedy can only afford to lose three Republican votes if Democrats are unified in opposition.
Zoom in: Caroline Kennedy critiqued her cousin's record on vaccines, accusing him of "vaccinating his own children while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs."
- "The conspiratorial half-truths he has told about vaccines, including in connection with Samoa's deadly 2019 measles outbreak, have cost lives," she said.
- Kennedy has maintained that he is not anti-vaccine and has denied he has any connection to Samoa's measles outbreak.
Yes, but: Trump's selection of RFK Jr. has been met with praise from many Senate Republicans and odds are still good he'll be confirmed.
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) called him an "absolutely brilliant" pick, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) called Kennedy a "brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation."
