From: allin
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), a presidential hopeful, has been a controversial figure due to his questioning of some pharmaceutical products and his criticism of COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic [02:55:00]. Mainstream media has labeled him a “conspiracy theorist,” but given that many COVID-related conspiracy theories have been “vindicated,” Tablet Magazine suggested this alone qualifies him to be president [03:07:00].
Pandemic Response Critique
RFK Jr. argues that the United States had a “militarized and monetized” response to the COVID-19 crisis, which was the opposite of what would protect public health [04:55:00]. He noted that established protocols from organizations like the WHO, CDC, EU, and NHS advised against mass lockdowns, instead recommending quarantining the sick and protecting the vulnerable while keeping society moving [04:55:00]. They understood that societal shutdowns would lead to “cataclysmic” consequences beyond the disease itself [04:55:00].
He criticized the lack of emphasis on early treatment, citing that hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin were known to be effective against coronaviruses as early as 2004, based on NIH studies [04:55:00]. According to RFK Jr., these early treatments were suppressed because a federal law prevents Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a vaccine if an existing drug is shown to be effective against the target disease. Admitting the efficacy of these drugs would have “destroyed their whole hundred billion dollar vaccine enterprise” [04:55:00]. Hospitals reportedly sent symptomatic patients home without treatment, telling them to return only when their condition worsened, then offering remdesivir and ventilation, which RFK Jr. claimed were detrimental [04:55:00].
The U.S. had the highest COVID-19 death count in the world, with 4.2% of the global population but 16% of deaths [04:55:00]. He contrasts this with countries like Nigeria and Haiti, which had very low vaccination rates but also extremely low death rates per million population, partly due to widespread use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for other diseases [04:55:00].
The response involved extensive infringements on civil liberties, including censorship, closing churches, banning jury trials against pharmaceutical companies, shutting down businesses without due process, and violating Fourth Amendment rights with intrusive medical record demands [04:55:00]. He further notes that the agency running Operation Warp Speed was not HHS but the National Security Agency (NSA), and vaccine manufacturing was handled by military contractors, not pharmaceutical companies [04:55:00].
Vaccine Discussions
RFK Jr. clarified that he is not “anti-vax” and that he and his children are fully vaccinated, though he expressed regret about his own vaccination choices given current knowledge [05:50:00]. His primary concern is that childhood vaccines are immune from pre-licensing safety testing, unlike other medical products [05:50:00]. This exemption stems from vaccines being considered national security defense against biological attacks, allowing rapid deployment without regulatory impediments [05:50:00].
In 1986, the vaccine industry gained full immunity from liability under the Price Anderson Act, signed by Ronald Reagan [05:50:00]. This, combined with no upstream safety testing and mandated consumption by the government, led to a “gold rush,” expanding the number of mandated vaccine doses from three to 72 (and now towards 80) [05:50:00].
RFK Jr. links this expanded vaccine schedule to a “chronic disease epidemic” beginning around 1989 [05:50:00]. He cites a rise in neurological diseases (ADD, ADHD, autism, narcolepsy), allergic diseases (peanut allergies, eczema, asthma), and autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diabetes) that were rare in his youth [05:50:00]. He states that manufacturers’ inserts for these 72 vaccines list 420 associated diseases, including all those that became epidemic in 1989 [05:50:00].
He attributes this not solely to vaccines but to a “toxic soup” of environmental factors including glyphosate, neonicotinoids, PFOAs, cell phones, and ultrasound, with vaccines being “part of that” [05:50:00]. He claims the NIH refuses to study these links because they know where the “dots” lead [05:50:00].
He provided the example of the DTP vaccine, which caused severe brain injury in 1 in 300 U.S. children in the 1970s, leading to its removal from the U.S. and Europe [05:50:00]. However, he claims Bill Gates and the WHO continue to administer it to 161 million African children annually [05:50:00]. A 2017 Danish-funded study in West Africa, allegedly found that while girls who received the DTP vaccine were protected from diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, they were dying at “10 times the rate of unvaccinated girls” from other diseases like malaria, pneumonia, and anemia, suggesting the vaccine “ruined their immune system” [05:50:00].
One of the hosts, Freeberg, a self-described scientist, states there isn’t direct evidence supporting a causal relationship between vaccines and the rise in diseases [05:50:00]. He agrees that environmental factors and chemistry play a role, but notes that RFK Jr. groups claims with differing levels of evidence, such as nuclear power or PFOAs [01:46:06].
Media Censorship and Pharmaceutical Influence
RFK Jr. claims that pharmaceutical advertising heavily influences media content [01:23:10]. He recounted an experience with Roger Ailes, former head of Fox News, who told him that 70% of Fox’s prime-time network news revenue came from pharmaceutical ads, preventing him from discussing vaccine-related issues on air [01:23:10]. He also described how Jake Tapper’s exclusive story on a secret meeting about vaccines and autism was “pulled by corporate” [01:23:10].
He highlighted that only New Zealand and the United States allow pharmaceutical advertising on TV, which he links to Americans taking three to four times more pharmaceutical drugs than Europeans, despite having worse health outcomes [01:23:10]. RFK Jr. points out that pharmaceutical drugs are the third biggest killer of Americans after cancer and heart attacks [01:23:10]. He believes this is due to “agency capture,” where regulatory bodies are influenced by the industries they are supposed to oversee [01:23:10].
RFK Jr. asserts that his claims are well-researched and backed by a “robust factchecking operation” with 320 MDs and PhD scientists on his advisory board, and that his posts are cited to government databases or peer-reviewed publications [01:37:00]. He challenges critics to identify specific pieces of misinformation and states he would correct any mistakes [01:37:00]. The hosts observed that RFK Jr.’s willingness to challenge established narratives makes him a compelling figure, drawing parallels to Trump’s appeal as an “anti-establishment” product who came from within the system [01:43:56].