Dr. Rasmussen, your piece is both brilliant and essential. Thank you for laying out so clearly what is at stake with RFK Jr.’s attack on independent expertise and evidence-based public health. Your framing of USPSTF being “ACIP-ed” is chilling and unfortunately very plausible. Physicians for a Healthy Democracy has launched a national petition calling for Kennedy’s removal as HHS Secretary, and your analysis strengthens the case.
If I might offer a small nuance: I do not see Kennedy’s actions as rooted in personal bigotry toward vulnerable communities, but rather as the devastating byproduct of tunnel vision, scientific ignorance, and self-righteous certainty. In Samoa, he did not hate the children who died. He simply loved his own theories more than he valued evidence. His alliance with Trump and his use of anti-woke rhetoric reflect opportunism and ego more than coherent ideology. That does not make him any less dangerous, but perhaps more reckless than calculating.
Thank you again for your clarity and for raising the alarm. Your voice is a vital force for accountability.
I’m more than happy to help continue strengthening the case. Whatever his motives, RFK Jr is going to get a lot of people killed. I’ll do whatever I can to thwart his efforts.
Kennedy and his particular brand of insanity is doing so much damage yet the US public don't seem aware of it. The news reports don't last more than a day and people don't see the importance of what's happening. Authoritarian regimes are masters at keeping people off kilter. It's hard to keep up with the goings-on in the US government. I attempt to follow the legal and immigration areas as they were my fields, but mostly I have given up staying current. It's a full-time job. Thankfully I can come here to keep up with the health-related shenanigans that will require years to fix. Replacing expertise is not done overnight and the public's trust when they've been hoodwinked won't be easy to overcome. Kennedy is particularly vile. Thank you for writing about this in a way that I can follow and can make me smile through the horror of it all.
In a statement to CBS News Friday, an HHS spokesperson said, "No final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS' mandate to Make America Healthy Again."
He did similar things with ACIP too, including promising Senator Cassidy that he would maintain ACIP recommendations with no changes. Then he gutted ACIP.
Dr. Rasmussen, your piece is both brilliant and essential. Thank you for laying out so clearly what is at stake with RFK Jr.’s attack on independent expertise and evidence-based public health. Your framing of USPSTF being “ACIP-ed” is chilling and unfortunately very plausible. Physicians for a Healthy Democracy has launched a national petition calling for Kennedy’s removal as HHS Secretary, and your analysis strengthens the case.
If I might offer a small nuance: I do not see Kennedy’s actions as rooted in personal bigotry toward vulnerable communities, but rather as the devastating byproduct of tunnel vision, scientific ignorance, and self-righteous certainty. In Samoa, he did not hate the children who died. He simply loved his own theories more than he valued evidence. His alliance with Trump and his use of anti-woke rhetoric reflect opportunism and ego more than coherent ideology. That does not make him any less dangerous, but perhaps more reckless than calculating.
Thank you again for your clarity and for raising the alarm. Your voice is a vital force for accountability.
Link to petition: https://www.change.org/p/rfk-jr-must-be-removed-before-more-damage-is-done-before-more-lives-are-lost
I’m more than happy to help continue strengthening the case. Whatever his motives, RFK Jr is going to get a lot of people killed. I’ll do whatever I can to thwart his efforts.
Again, a wonderful piece. To bad those who need to hear this will never read it. Keep up the good work. We depend on people like you.
Kennedy and his particular brand of insanity is doing so much damage yet the US public don't seem aware of it. The news reports don't last more than a day and people don't see the importance of what's happening. Authoritarian regimes are masters at keeping people off kilter. It's hard to keep up with the goings-on in the US government. I attempt to follow the legal and immigration areas as they were my fields, but mostly I have given up staying current. It's a full-time job. Thankfully I can come here to keep up with the health-related shenanigans that will require years to fix. Replacing expertise is not done overnight and the public's trust when they've been hoodwinked won't be easy to overcome. Kennedy is particularly vile. Thank you for writing about this in a way that I can follow and can make me smile through the horror of it all.
I really have no choice but to make jokes because otherwise the existential horror never stops
In a statement to CBS News Friday, an HHS spokesperson said, "No final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS' mandate to Make America Healthy Again."
He did similar things with ACIP too, including promising Senator Cassidy that he would maintain ACIP recommendations with no changes. Then he gutted ACIP.
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/09/nx-s1-5428533/rfk-jr-vaccine-advisory-committee-acip
Yep. All true. But ...