RFK Jr. faces backlash from Democrats at House hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of the storied political family who is making a long-shot Democratic presidential bid, was bolstered by Republicans at a hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill while lawmakers from his own party sought to tear him down, citing his history of espousing conspiracy theories and making racist and antisemitic statements.

The hearing, convened by the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, was supposed to examine the federal government's role in censoring Americans online, particularly conservatives who claim they are being unfairly targeted by technology companies that work with the government to combat misinformation.

But the hearing quickly turned into a spectacle of political theater, as Kennedy, who was invited by the Republicans, defended himself against accusations from Democrats that he was spreading dangerous lies about vaccines and COVID-19, and that he was a "living, breathing, false flag operation" who had betrayed his family's legacy.

Kennedy claimed under oath that he had "never uttered a phrase that was either racist or antisemitic" and that he was not anti-vaccination, despite CNN fact checks showing that he has repeatedly shared unfounded conspiracy theories with a false link between autism and childhood vaccines, and that he has also claimed that man-made chemicals could be making children gay or transgender.

He also denied that he had suggested last week at a dinner in New York City that COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to attack Caucasians and Black people, while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. He said his words were twisted by The New York Post, which first reported on his remarks, and that he was merely citing a scientific study that showed different genetic susceptibility to the virus among different groups.

But Democrats were not buying his explanations, and grilled him on his past statements and actions, such as comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust, suing the government over its COVID-19 response, and endorsing former President Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Kennedy was "a disgrace to your family name" and accused him of being "a useful idiot for the Republican Party."

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said Kennedy was "a serial spreader of misinformation" who had "done more damage to public health than any other American in history."

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said Kennedy was "a danger to society" who had "no credibility whatsoever."

Republicans, on the other hand, praised Kennedy for his courage and integrity, and echoed his allegations of censorship and government overreach.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the subcommittee, said Kennedy was "a patriot" who was "standing up for freedom and liberty."

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Kennedy was "a hero" who was "exposing the truth" about the pandemic.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Kennedy was "a leader" who was "fighting for the people."

The hearing highlighted the strange alliance between Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat who is challenging President Joe Biden in the 2024 primary, and Republicans who are loyal to Trump and oppose Biden's agenda.

It also illustrated how populism and the bending of truth have eroded the norms of mainstream American politics, and how fringe voices and extremist positions have gained traction on both sides of the aisle.

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