Fellow Kennedys call on RFK Jr. to resign as health secretary

Prominent members of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s family called on him Friday to resign from his post atop the Department of Health and Human Services.

The calls from relatives came a day after the health secretary faced tough questions from Republican and Democratic senators about his overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at a Senate hearing.

Former Rep. Joe Kennedy III released a statement calling his uncle “a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American.” He accused the secretary of choosing “to dismiss science” and “sow confusion” during his congressional testimony.

“The challenge before us—from disease outbreaks to mental health crises—demand moral clarity, scientific expertise, and leadership rooted in fact,” he wrote. “Those values are not present in the Secretary’s office. He must resign.”

Kennedy has long had a fraught relationship with other members of the Kennedy dynasty, with several publicly decrying his decision to endorse Donald Trump in 2024. The response to his Senate testimony resulted in a fresh outpouring of criticism.

Kerry Kennedy, one of RFK Jr.’s 10 siblings, released a statement singling out what she called “the decimation of critical institutions, like the NIH and the CDC,” and calling for him to resign.

Several senators, including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, pressed Kennedy at the hearing about his decision to dismiss CDC Director Susan Monarez just a month after her confirmation.

Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former president John F. Kennedy, dug into his cousin during the hearing, writing on X that “RFK LOSER is choking so badly LIVE.”

He followed that up with a response to the statement from former Rep. Kennedy: “Couldn’t agree more – RFK LOSER IS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH and AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP. WHO PLEASURES HIMSELF by lying to Congress.”

President Trump has reaffirmed his support for Kennedy while seeking to distance himself from the health secretary's baseless claims about the efficacy of vaccines as Kennedy faces growing discontent within the GOP.

Trump called Kennedy’s position on vaccines “a tough stance” during remarks to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

“You have some vaccines that are so incredible, and I think that you have to be very careful when you say that some people don’t have to be vaccinated,” he said.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.