‘You’re full of s**t’: JD Vance blasts Democrats for 'trying to lecture' RFK Jr during Senate hearing

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on Thursday, September 4, as the latter faced a storm of criticism during a Senate Finance Committee hearing.

Democratic senators pressed him on his vaccine positions and his leadership moves at the CDC, sparking heated exchanges that drew both support and backlash online.

JD Vance backs RFK Jr and accuses Democrats of enriching 'Big Pharma'

RFK Jr came under fire from senators, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who accused him of lying about vaccines.

In a pointed message on X (formerly Twitter), Vance wrote, “When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma. You’re full of s**t and everyone knows it.”

More than 1,000 HHS employees call for RFK Jr's resignation

RFK Jr also faced pressure from within his own department. On Wednesday, more than 1,000 HHS employees anonymously signed an open letter calling for his resignation.

The letter cited RFK Jr's firing of Senate-confirmed CDC Director Susan Monarez, the resignations of prominent CDC doctors, and his “appointing political ideologues who pose as scientific experts and manipulate data to fit predetermined conclusions” on vaccine effectiveness.

“Should he decline to resign, we call upon the President and US Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science. We expect those in leadership to act when the health of Americans is at stake,” the letter continued.

While critics turned up the pressure, the HHS secretary received high-profile support from within the Trump administration.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called him “a crown jewel of this administration” during remarks on the White House lawn last week. Miller said RFK Jr is “working tirelessly to improve public health for all Americans and to deal with the drivers of the chronic health crisis in this country.”

Internet divided over JD Vance's defense of RFK Jr

Online reaction was split after JD Vance’s sharp remarks in defense of RFK Jr.

One person wrote, “It was barely watchable. Something must be done about the way they ‘ask questions’ they don’t want an answer to, only want a sound bite. There were no gotchas from the Democrats. It’s disrespectful to the person invited and disrespectful to Americans. Bobby did hold his own.”

Another claimed, “The entire Senate is owned by pharma.”

Some criticized Vance’s approach, with one writing, “So the defense of RFK Jr. gutting vaccine expertise is… a culture war rant about gender care? That’s not a counterargument, it’s a deflection. Public health policy should be debated on evidence, not whatever wedge issue you think will rile up the crowd.”

“It is such a waste of our tax dollars for this to be continuously allowed to happen from our elected officials. Trump is standing his ground and doing a great job, but the rest of them make us look like a clown to other countries,” read another tweet.  

One user objected to Vance’s language, stating, “I think a sitting Vice President hurling obscenities in his public statements debases the culture and discourse. You gain nothing from it, and it cheapens your argument.”

Another took aim at Warren, writing, “I propose calling Elizabeth Warren ‘Pharmahontas’ from now on.”

Agreeing with Vance, an individual said, “You are absolutely right. Every single senator in that room should be united with Kennedy in the fight to ensure safety in vaccines and healthy food and medication.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.