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Deadly Viruses Infecting America, Political & Otherwise [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-03-07

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., now Secretary of Health & Human Services, stated during his confirmation hearing, “I am not anti-vaccine. I am pro-vaccine safety.” That was a lie, a reframe necessary to cover up his true sentiments. Shame on Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician who, despite all his reservations, voted to confirm Kennedy when he knew better.

Kennedy has been an anti-vaxxer since before 2005 when he published his article “Deadly Immunity” in Rolling Stone and Salon—shame on both publications for giving him a platform. The article alleged that the government covered up a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. The piece had to be withdrawn for inaccuracies, and no reputable scientific study has ever identified such a link. It was nothing more than antivax fearmongering, deceiving, and scaring parents with a conspiracy theory devoid of scientific proof.

The problem with RFK Jr. is that he is a deadly virus that has infected too many Americans. Kennedy is a member of a small army of approximately 500 prominent anti-vaxxer conspiracy influencers in the U.S. Over the past 20 years, their lies have driven down vaccination rates, positioning America for multiple public health crises.

In his first cabinet meeting, true to form, Kennedy lied about the measles outbreak in Gaines County, located in West Texas, the epicenter of the epidemic. The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rate there is about 82%, far below the 95% needed for herd immunity. In the meeting, Kennedy falsely claimed that the 20 or so people who were hospitalized were being quarantined. This was an outright lie. They were being hospitalized to treat complications from measles.

In subsequent days, Kennedy said people should get vaccinations, though he still framed it as a “personal choice.” He could have said, “I recommend everyone get an MMR vaccination immediately to stop the spread of this dangerous outbreak.” That would have been responsible public health leadership. Instead, Kennedy recommended Vitamin A to treat measles. Is he ignorant, biased, or so misinformed that he always steers people away from vaccines? Vitamin A is given in underdeveloped countries during measles outbreaks because many children there suffer from vitamin A deficiency. That is not the case in the U.S., where children have adequate levels of this vitamin. Taking more Vitamin A will not better treat measles, and excessive intake can lead to toxicity. Did he mention that?

As of March 4, 2025, 159 measles cases had been confirmed in nine counties in West Texas. Most of the infected people hadn’t been vaccinated against the virus, and one child died.

In 2016, Kennedy founded the Children’s Health Defense (CHD), a nonprofit that spreads misinformation about vaccines and other health issues. The CHD has been accused of promoting vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy theories about various health matters. It is also worth noting that Kennedy’s anti-vaccine crusade has been financially lucrative. His net worth is between $15 and $30 million, largely from income generated by the CHD, book royalties, and lecture fees involving lies about vaccines. As above, Kennedy himself has become a deadly virus.

Unfortunately, the Kennedy virus is only beginning to spread. By the time he is done decimating the Department of Health and Human Services, the overall health of Americans will sharply decline.

Obviously, Kennedy is not the “Liar in Chief.” That title belongs to Trump. His recent address to a joint session of Congress was notable for two reasons: its length of 100 minutes (setting a new record) and the number of lies it contained. Numerous fact-checkers have been working for days analyzing and confirming his falsehoods. There may have been 20 to 25 lies, with Republicans erupting in obsequious applause. One fact-checker, PolitiFact, analyzed 11 claims. Their results were Half True (2), Mostly False (3), and False (6).

Trump is the second deadly virus in America, one that is destroying our country before our very eyes.

The Trump virus, replete with lies, does the following.

1 Undermine Trust: Trump’s lies have fractured trust, leading to a growing divide between Blue and Red America. Without a truthful national leader, the social contract that binds American democracy is collapsing.

2 Create Extreme Polarization: Trump’s lies, which play on emotions, exploit existing divisions, fueling political and social polarization.

3 Manipulate Public Opinion: Trump effectively manipulated public opinion, persuading citizens to vote for him based on false promises, such as his promise to “bring down costs on day one,” which was a lie that has harmed Americans daily as prices continue to rise. He hasn’t taken one action to address cost increases.

4 Evade Accountability: By obscuring the truth, many citizens are unable to hold Trump accountable. With the Republican Congress capitulating to Trump’s lies, transparency and oversight are gone.

5 Create Instability and Conflict: Trump’s lies, extreme in number and content, are leading to civil unrest and a breakdown in civil order.

But there is more: the Musk virus, Vance virus, Bondi virus, Patel virus, Hegseth virus, Duffy virus, Wright virus, Vought virus, Dog-killer Noem virus, McMahon virus, Gabbard virus, Rubio virus, Collins virus, Lutnick virus, Johnson virus, Thune virus, and more—each one a unique, yet deadly virus infecting the body politic. It feels as though we are experiencing the political equivalent of the bubonic plague, smallpox epidemic, or covid once again—horrendous.

We can work to inoculate ourselves somewhat from these deadly plagues by connecting with supportive communities, speaking truth to power, getting into good trouble, and engaging in civil disobedience. But the reality is that we need millions more antibodies to attack these viruses to destroy this infection and ensure that America prevails.

Time left to January 20, 2029: 1,414 days

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