• It’s worth taking a good, long look at the views of the kook man tapped to lead American public health policy. To recap: Kennedy petitioned the FDA to stop administering COVID vaccinations at a peak of the pandemic; he baselessly claimed that COVID was genetically engineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people; he wants to remove fluoride from drinking water despite its proven effectiveness to dramatically reduce tooth decay; he founded an anti-vax group that pushed the false theory that vaccines cause autism; and he believes raw milk, which is not safe to drink and can make you ill, is good for people. 

• How do you interview a guy with a track record like that for the actually-very-serious job leading the Department of Health and Human Services? His ideas are so wild that to merely discuss them, as senators were forced to do in today’s confirmation hearing, presented a kind of theater of the absurd. “Did you say that Lyme Disease is highly likely a bioweapon?” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) asked. “I probably did say that,” Kennedy responded. (Excuse me?) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) questioned Kennedy about his anti-vax group’s baby onesies, which are emblazoned with the phrases “Unvaxxed, unafraid,” and “No vax no problem.” In his brusque New York accent, the progressive firebrand asked: “Are you supportive of these onesies?” Kennedy said he has no control over the group.

• Kennedy seemed to stumble over the basic details of health insurance programs used by 150 million Americans, which he would oversee. He ignored the fact that half of Medicare, which covers older Americans, relies on private insurance. Medicaid, he said, is “fully paid for by the federal government,” which isn’t true. He also claimed that Medicaid premiums and deductibles “are too high,” despite the fact that most enrollees — who are low-income — don’t pay anything for their coverage. Kennedy also guessed that 30 million infants are under Medicaid insurance. 30 million! You think babies on Medicaid make up almost one-in-ten Americans, my guy? Sure, yeah, hire him!

• At certain points, he “sounded like a college freshman who stayed up all night cramming for a final exam and still couldn't pass,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) told What A Day in a call after the hearing. Will Kennedy be confirmed? Wyden wouldn’t speculate, but “I don't underestimate the White House’s power to try to tell everybody that Western civilization is going to end if they don't get every single one of their nominees.”

• The only thing more disturbing than Kennedy’s whackadoo “scientific" views is his relentless fascination with dead animals, which raises serious questions about his psyche. [Trigger warning for this next part: it’s gross.] Caroline Kennedy, his own cousin, said that throughout his life, Kennedy “enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks.” He’s also been accused of sawing the head off a beached whale and tying it to the roof of his car. He once posed with a dead bear cub before dumping it in Central Park. A worm once ate part of his brain and died there. 

• Ironically, many Republicans can’t stand him, either. Kennedy was a Democrat for most of his life, switching Independent during his failed presidential bid. An advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence has been leading the right-wing charge against Kennedy, saying this week that he shouldn’t be confirmed because of his pro-choice stance, former addiction to heroin, his past marijuana use, and his support for legalizing psychedelic drugs. He also reportedly cheated on his wife, actress Cherly Hines, numerous times and kept “secret sex diaries.” (Cheryl: Does the legacy of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” mean nothing to you? Leave this man!)

• Despite all of this, some of Kennedy’s core messages (and even his background!) do in fact resonate with a lot of people, including some of his critics. Kennedy popularized the “Make America Healthy Again” slogan, which aims to remove processed and low-quality foods from the American diet and battle chronic illness through eating well. It’s been compared to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative. You can even take an online test to guess who made which comments about public health. He was also a longtime environmental champion, which has nothing to do with the current job he’s going for, but it’s a huge reason why some people do like him.

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