R obert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was grilled by Democratic senators during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, who confronted him with conspiratorial and conflicting statements he has made about COVID-19.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent two days this week insisting to senators that he’s not anti-vaccine. He said that he instead supports vaccinations and will follow the science in overseeing the $1.7 trillion Department of Health and Human Services, which, among other duties, oversees vaccine research, approval and recommendations.

Citing unverified data, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed in December 2021 that the Covid-19 vaccine was the “deadliest vaccine ever made.” A few months prior, he petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to rescind authorization of the Covid-19 shots.

In one of the most tense exchanges in a heated confirmation hearing, Senator Angela Alsobrooks called out past comments RFK Jr. made suggesting a different vaccine schedule for Black people.

Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as an independent but ended up supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, was grilled by senators over his views on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and more during two days of confirmation hearings.