Dana Bash Goes One-On-One With Secretary RFK, Jr
What happened when Dana Bash went one-on-one with Secretary RFK, Jr in an interview on CNN?
It certainly was NOT a 20-minute takedown of CNN’s Dana Bash!
Dana Bash Goes One-On-One With Secretary RFK, Jr
Instead, Secretary RFK, Jr, when finally faced with an interview in which a host does not let him simply regurgitate his anti-vaccine, MAHA talking points, we saw a flustered Kennedy losing control, lying, and unable to answer questions.
Wait, what did he lie about?
During the interview, RFK, Jr:
said that the United States had “the worst outcome of any country in the world” during COVID, with “the highest death rate of any nation on earth” - of course, neither was true. Search it up if you don’t believe me!
said that ICUs were empty all over the country, including in New York at the height of the COVID pandemic - not true. Like most hospitals, the ICUs in New York were at over capacity with critically ill COVID patients. What did sit empty were the extra field hospitals that were later built, but ended up not being needed.
said that RSV and Lyme disease came from gain-of-function research - not true! Neither Lyme disease nor RSV came from a lab leak or gain-of-function research.
said that gain-of-function research has never done anything beneficial - not true!
A long list of GoF experiments that have proven beneficial. said that the United States is doing better than any other country at handling the measles outbreaks - not true! Many countries have far fewer measles cases than the United States. In fact, last year, 160 of 182 countries had fewer measles cases than the United States, including 97 countries that had fewer measles cases per capita!
blamed the measles cases on an international outbreak - while global measles cases are up, we have historically had relatively few cases when global measles case counts were even higher!
blamed the measles outbreaks on the COVID lockdowns and toddlers not getting vaccinated - kids not getting vaccinated during COVID lockdowns was a concern, but fortunately, there was a quick rebound for infants and toddlers. And although there are still gaps in vaccination rates after the pandemic, much of that is driven by an increase in vaccine hesitancy.
said that we have stopped the outbreaks at record speed in South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia - not true at all! The South Carolina measles outbreak ended up being the largest outbreak in the United States in 35 years. And the ongoing Utah measles outbreak has become the longest outbreak in the United States in 35 years. Well, I guess that’s not a lie. A record slow speed is still a record…
said that the communities that are suffering from measles are religious communities that just don’t vaccinate, adding that the Mennonites haven’t vaccinated since 1796! - not true. Some Mennonites don’t vaccinate, but it is not because of their religion. Instead of a religious objection, the editor of a popular Mennonite newspaper says that “false information linking vaccinations to autism is playing a role for some in deciding against vaccinating their children.” There is plenty of evidence of Mennonites, like the Amish, vaccinating their children.
said that he “has never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine” - except for the times he questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine! Like when he said the measles vaccine wanes, that it is a leaky vaccine, and that there is some viral interference in the MMR vaccine.
said that the IOM said two vaccines cause autism - The IOM vaccine reports did not say that any vaccines cause autism. And dozens of studies have shown that vaccines are not associated with autism.
said that the association of vaccines with autism has never been studied - not true and his continued focus on vaccines and autism is harmful to everyone
said that genes don’t cause epidemics - maybe not, but RFK, Jr focuses on vaccines as a cause of autism, never talking about all of the other things that are much more likely reasons for why we have been seeing more kids getting diagnosed
said that Anthony Fauci was lying about everything - he wasn’t.
So it was basically RFK, Jr being RFK, Jr, but not in a friendly environment that would let him get away with lying!
Not too much new, except this might have been the first time I had heard him say that RSV was caused by gain-of-function research! I guess he is upset that so many parents are choosing to get their infants vaccinated and protected and fewer infants are getting hospitalized with RSV…
More on Misinformation from RFK, Jr
Pandemic Revisionism Can’t Erase How Many Kids Died With COVID
Measles Deaths Were More Than 22,000 Percent Higher Just Before We Got a Measles Vaccine!
About Those Research Papers Supporting the Vaccine/Autism Link
There Is Something to Be Gained From Gain of Function Experiments
RFK Jr. Incorrectly Denies Past Remarks on Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
A Timeline of RFK Jr.’s Mixed Messaging on the Measles Vaccine