RFK Jr. Defends Ouster of CDC Director by Distorting List of Public Health Achievements

By Jessica McDonald

Posted on August 29, 2025

Amid upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the firing of the agency’s director, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. distorted the facts to falsely claim that the agency’s website lists abortion as one of the “10 greatest advances in medical science.”

Kennedy’s comments came in an Aug. 28 interview on “Fox & Friends,” the day after HHS announced on X that Susan Monarez, who had served as CDC director for less than a month after being nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate, was no longer head of the agency.

Monarez, who reportedly clashed with Kennedy over vaccine policy, has disputed the legality of her firing. Her lawyers said in a statement posted on X that she was targeted after she “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” The same day, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 shots for the 2025-2026 season, but only for certain people based on age or health condition, contrary to the advice of other major medical groups. Four high-level CDC staffers also resigned.

SNIP We could find no CDC webpage listing the greatest medical innovations. There are a few older reports published in the agency’s journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, that list the top 10 public health achievements. But while vaccination and water fluoridation are indeed included, abortion is not a main entry in any of them. Nor are the lists featured on the CDC’s website in a consumer-friendly way. The pages are web versions of published journal articles that are primarily intended for medical or scientific audiences.
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/rfk-jr-defends-ouster-of-cdc-director-by-distorting-list-of-public-health-achievements/

Lies on top of lies on top of lies, he is a miserable, lying, manipulative bastard who must be replaced.