The NAACP recently released an open letter to U.S. Senate leaders opposing the election of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Secretary of Health and Human Services position.
Released on Jan. 29, the President and CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, and the NAACP Director of Health and Well-Being, Dr. Chris T. Pernell, sent the letter before the first nomination hearing of Kennedy Jr.
In the statement, Johnson and Dr. Pernell both expressed concerns on how Kennedy Jr.’s election might affect the lives of Black Americans, claiming that, if he was chosen, misinformation, disinformation and anti-science beliefs would be “weaponized.”
“Let’s not forget – COVID-19 is still alive and disproportionately impacting the Black community. Under no circumstance should a conspiracy theorist with a track record of disregard for the sanctity of life be appointed to lead one of our nation’s most powerful health institutions,” wrote the NAACP. “Senators, we demand that you put people over politics and say no to RFK.”
The @NAACP is calling on the Senate to block Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS, marking the civil rights group's first opposition to a Trump nominee.
— Beatrice Peterson (@MissBeaE on all platforms) (@MissBeaE) January 30, 2025
"If chosen, misinformation, disinformation, and anti-science beliefs would be weaponized in catastrophic ways," @DerrickNAACP wrote. pic.twitter.com/UMsAteo7IS
Kennedy Jr. has been accused of perpetrating a number of conspiracy theories. During his Jan. 29 Senate hearing, multiple Democratic Senators questioned him on controversial comments he’s previously made.
These comments included pushing forward claims that AIDS in Africa is an “entirely different disease” from Western AIDS, exposure to pesticides leads to transgender children and antidepressants lead to school shootings.
While Kennedy Jr. denied making these claims in his official Senate hearing, CNN published a fact check on his denial, debunking his claims.
In a 2021 book, Kennedy Jr. wrote the sentence verbatim, implying that the number of people diagnosed with AIDS in Africa was reported as being higher than it actually is to get increased funds for the organizations that provide treatment for individuals diagnosed with the illness in Africa.
Kennedy Jr. also claimed that there’s “tremendous circumstantial evidence” that SSRIs and benzos are related to school shootings while the pesticide atrazine can “chemically castrate and forcibly feminize” frogs.
One denial out of six claims was accurate as he found that he didn’t say that Americans with mental health medications “should be sent” to reported “wellness farms.”
As Kennedy’s Senate hearing continues, medical professionals are continuing to oppose his nomination with the Committee to Protect Health Care most recently sending a letter of opposition consisting of over 18,000 signatures from “vetted and verified” doctors.
