In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the American political and public health landscape, members of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s own family have joined a growing chorus of voices demanding his resignation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The calls for Kennedy’s ouster erupted in the aftermath of a heated three-hour Senate hearing on September 4, 2025, where Kennedy faced a barrage of bipartisan criticism over his handling of federal health agencies, particularly his controversial moves to roll back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and dismiss high-ranking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Senate hearing, described as combative and intense by multiple outlets including News18 and the Los Angeles Times, put Kennedy’s leadership under a microscope. Senators from both sides of the aisle grilled him on decisions that have upended established public health policy and rattled the medical community nationwide. Kennedy’s recent firing of CDC director Susan Monarez, limiting of vaccine access, and the abrupt cancellation of millions of dollars in research for mRNA vaccines were all placed under scrutiny. During the session, Kennedy also made the controversial claim that the United States is the “sickest country in the world,” a statement widely challenged by public health experts and lawmakers alike.
But it was the reaction from Kennedy’s own family that truly underscored the depth of the crisis. On September 5, 2025, his sister Kerry Kennedy took to the social media platform X to issue a pointed statement: “The first smallpox vaccine was developed in 1796. Since then, countless vaccines have been developed and saved millions of lives. Vaccines work. This is not up for debate,” she wrote, according to Fox News. Kerry Kennedy went on to warn that dismantling the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “will result in the loss of lives,” and insisted that decisions about these agencies should rest with “trained medical professionals.” Her message was unequivocal: “Enough is enough. Secretary Kennedy must resign. Now.”
Kerry’s public rebuke was echoed by her nephew, Joseph P. Kennedy III, who also issued a statement on X. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American. A United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with protecting the public health of our country and its people. At yesterday’s hearing, he chose to do the opposite: to dismiss science, mislead the public, sideline experts and sow confusion,” Joe Kennedy III declared. He concluded by calling for his uncle’s resignation, arguing that Kennedy had failed to demonstrate the “moral clarity, scientific expertise, and leadership rooted in fact” required for the role.
Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, amplified the message by reposting Joe Kennedy III’s statement and adding his own condemnation: “Better late than never! I Couldn’t agree more — RFK LOSER IS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH and AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP. WHO PLEASURES HIMSELF by lying to Congress.” This blunt assessment from yet another family member highlighted the widening rift within one of America’s most storied political dynasties.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Kennedy family’s public disavowal is not without precedent. Several relatives have previously voiced disapproval of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views, particularly his long-standing opposition to vaccines. Earlier this year, some family members even wrote to senators urging them to reject his nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services, citing his anti-vaccine stance as disqualifying. Kennedy, often described as a leader in the anti-vaccine movement, has spent the last seven months translating his once-niche, grassroots campaign into sweeping changes at the highest levels of American public health policy.
The fallout from Kennedy’s tenure has been swift and far-reaching. Medical groups across the country have joined the Kennedy family in calling for his resignation. The Los Angeles Times reports that thousands of federal health agency employees have lost their jobs amid the shakeup, and many Democratic-led states have responded to the upheaval by issuing their own vaccine guidelines, seeking to provide clarity in what they describe as a climate of “uncertainty” caused by Kennedy’s policies and statements.
During the Senate hearing, Kennedy attempted to defend his actions, insisting that his goal was to bring greater transparency and accountability to federal health agencies. However, his explanations did little to assuage the concerns of lawmakers or the public. The hearing featured sharp exchanges with senators from both parties, with many expressing alarm at the rapid changes and questioning the wisdom of sidelining experienced public health officials in favor of what some described as “misguided leadership.”
Medical professionals have also weighed in, warning that Kennedy’s rollback of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and his broader skepticism toward established scientific consensus could have dire consequences. As Kerry Kennedy put it in her statement, “I stand with the many courageous individuals in the medical and scientific communities who have had to set aside their vital work to speak truth to power to keep the public safe.”
The controversy has reignited a national debate over the role of science in policymaking and the dangers of politicizing public health. While Kennedy retains some supporters who argue that federal agencies need reform and that dissenting voices should not be silenced, the overwhelming response from both his family and the broader medical community has been one of alarm. Even some Republicans, who might have been expected to back Kennedy as a Trump Cabinet official, expressed unease during the hearing, further isolating him politically.
As the calls for Kennedy’s resignation grow louder, the future of federal health policy hangs in the balance. The episode has laid bare deep divisions not only within the Kennedy family but also within the broader American public, as questions about trust, expertise, and the boundaries of political authority take center stage.
For now, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services. But with mounting pressure from family, lawmakers, medical professionals, and state officials, his hold on the position appears increasingly tenuous. The next steps will not only determine Kennedy’s political fate but could also shape the direction of American public health for years to come.
