RFK Jr. Even Getting a Hearing for HHS Secretary Is Failed State Behavior
RFK Jr’s hearing for HHS Secretary is a sign of a broken system where spectacle trumps expertise and public health takes a backseat to political theater.
Ryan Fagan is A politico who loves breaking down complex issues with a healthy dose of sarcasm. All about the hot takes, witty comebacks, and calling out the chaos with a smirk.
Have we entered the FastPass queue to failed state status? Well, in a functioning democracy, the people chosen to run the nation’s most critical agencies would be experts in their fields—competent, science-based, and serious about governing. The mere idea of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being considered for Secretary of Health and Human Services flies in the face of all of that. His nomination isn’t just controversial; it is a flashing neon sign that the U.S. government is broken beyond repair.
Misinformation by Definition
RFK Jr. has built his modern political identity around undermining public health. His decades-long crusade against vaccines, filled with conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods, has already done enough damage from outside the government. Elevating him to a position where he’d oversee public health policy is putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department.
RFK Jr. is a man who has falsely linked vaccines to autism, claimed that COVID-19 was “ethnically targeted,” and accused public health officials of operating under a shadowy conspiracy. These are not just fringe beliefs—they are part of a coordinated right-wing effort to dismantle public trust in scientific institutions. Why would anyone want him in charge of the CDC, NIH, and FDA? An ungovernable America is precisely what MAGA Republicans want—one where public health is privatized, science is discredited, and corporations, not people, dictate policy.
Government Unable to Govern
There was a time when certain positions in government required at least a basic level of credibility. Even in highly partisan times, there was an understanding that the HHS Secretary—someone responsible for public health, medical research, and social services—needed to be competent. That RFK Jr. could even be in consideration isn’t just a sign of dysfunction; it’s a deliberate escalation in the right-wing war on expertise.
It’s not just that he’s unqualified. It’s that his nomination reflects a government more interested in performative politics than actual leadership. The role of the HHS Secretary isn’t just symbolic; it directly affects millions of lives. This is the same playbook that gutted the EPA under Trump, attempted to dismantle public education, and turned FEMA into a political slush fund. MAGA governance isn’t incompetence—it’s sabotage.
The Consequences of Collapse
We’ve already seen what happens when unqualified, ideological extremists are put in positions of power. The Trump administration stacked agencies with industry lobbyists and conspiracy theorists, gutting environmental protections, pandemic preparedness, and basic governmental functions. RFK Jr. being seriously considered for HHS Secretary is another step down the same road.
Imagine an HHS led by someone who actively distrusts the very vaccines and public health measures that saved millions of lives. What happens during the next pandemic? What happens when the department needs to roll out a life-saving vaccine or implement a national health strategy? RFK Jr.’s leadership wouldn’t just be bad—it would be catastrophic. And make no mistake: this isn’t just about him. If the GOP regains power in 2025, Project 2025—the right-wing plan to dismantle the federal government—could ensure that every major agency is run by people whose explicit goal is to burn them to the ground.
Reframing the Debate: The Right’s War on Expertise
It’s tempting to view RFK Jr. as an anomaly—a rogue conspiracy theorist who somehow wandered into mainstream politics. But that framing is dangerous. This isn’t about RFK Jr. at all. This is about the right-wing strategy to erode public trust in institutions that protect people’s health, safety, and rights.
The GOP has been waging this war for decades. They did it with climate change, pushing fossil fuel propaganda over scientific consensus. They did it with COVID, pitting personal “freedom” against basic public health measures. They’re doing it now with education, banning books, and rewriting history to suit their political aims. The destruction of public trust isn’t a side effect—it’s the goal.
The Counterpoint Trap: What MAGA Will Say (And How to Respond)
The right is already spinning RFK Jr.’s candidacy as a "win for free speech” and an effort to “expose Big Pharma corruption.” Here’s how to shut that down:
What MAGA Will Say: “RFK Jr. is a truth-teller exposing Big Pharma.”
Counter: RFK Jr. isn’t a threat to Big Pharma—he’s a gift. The pharmaceutical industry thrives when public health fails because private healthcare steps in to profit from disease. Who benefits when people distrust vaccines? Drug manufacturers can sell expensive individual treatments instead of investing in public health solutions.What MAGA Will Say: “The government shouldn’t force vaccines on people.”
Counter: Public health isn’t coercion—it’s infrastructure. Clean water, traffic laws, and fire departments all exist because they protect society as a whole. The same is true for vaccines. The alternative isn’t “freedom”—it’s preventable outbreaks of deadly diseases.What MAGA Will Say: “This is about fighting government overreach.”
Counter: The GOP isn’t fighting “big government”—they’re replacing public institutions with corporate control. They don’t want to shrink the government; they want to privatize it, handing it over to the highest bidder.
What We Can Do Next
Stop the Media Normalization – The press needs to stop treating RFK Jr. like a serious candidate. Bookers at CNN, NBC, and The New York Times should be publicly called out for platforming someone who spreads dangerous misinformation.
Pressure Elected Officials – If RFK Jr. is seriously considered for an HHS role, every journalist, scientist, and public health advocate needs to make noise. Demand public statements from elected officials condemning his appointment.
Educate and Mobilize – This isn’t just about vaccines. It’s about stopping the broader attack on science, expertise, and public health. We need to make sure voters understand that RFK Jr.’s rise is part of a long-term project to dismantle government services and replace them with corporate-controlled alternatives.
This Is a Strategy, Not a Fluke
The mere thought of RFK Jr. sitting before the Senate for a confirmation hearing to lead HHS should be unthinkable, but it happened. That speaks volumes about the rot in the system. But let’s be clear: this isn’t just a sign of government dysfunction—it’s a deliberate plan to dismantle institutions that protect public health.
The question isn’t whether RFK Jr. is a problem. The question is: how far are we willing to let the right go in destroying the agencies that keep us safe?
 | A guest post by
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It seems like we're well past the point of "if" RFK Jr is seriously considered to head up HHS - he's the nominee who has been through confirmation hearings - but the counterpoint arguments and other actions items you suggest are still very helpful. Thanks for your post!