Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made claims during his Senate confirmation hearing on issues including vaccines, pesticides and Lyme disease. Some of them are missing context.

RFK Jr. claimed he is not “anti-vaccine” and appeared unfamiliar with key aspects of healthcare insurance programs in his confirmation hearing.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wanted "gold standard science" on vaccines, but when presented with compelling research, he cited reasons to doubt it.

If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees many of the country’s health agencies, from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a tense exchange during his confirmation hearing Wednesday to examine the RFK Jr.'s qualifications to be the country's top health official.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

The hearings were packed to capacity with protesters and fans, while the spillover crowd hung out in hallways and overflow rooms.

The questioning comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced grueling testimony on Thursday to secure the Secretary of Health and Human Services position

Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as an independent but ended up supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, was grilled by senators over his views on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and more during two days of confirmation hearings.