Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III on Friday publicly denounced his uncle, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling him “a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American” and saying he “must resign” following a contentious Senate hearing.
Kennedy’s rare family rebuke came a day after RFK Jr. testified before the Senate Finance Committee in a hearing that senators described as heated. The remarks by the congressman, posted to social media, add to an escalating public dispute among members of one of the nation's most prominent political families.
The latest flare-up follows a series of public statements by other Kennedys. In 2024, five of RFK Jr.’s siblings issued a joint statement condemning his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, calling the move “a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.” Caroline Kennedy later urged senators to vote against her cousin’s cabinet nomination, writing in a January 2025 letter that he was a “predator” who was “addicted to attention and power” and “unqualified” to lead HHS.
RFK Jr.’s confirmation and subsequent performance as HHS secretary have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and intensified family criticism. During the Senate Finance Committee hearing, lawmakers questioned aspects of his leadership and policy positions. Committee exchanges were described as confrontational by participants and observers, and the hearing underscored divisions both within Washington and within the Kennedy family.
In his social media post, Rep. Kennedy did not outline a specific timeline for removal but urged immediate action, arguing that RFK Jr.'s conduct and statements posed risks to public health. The congressman’s intervention marked one of the more forceful public statements by a Kennedy family member since the siblings’ joint statement in 2024.
Family disagreements over politics and public service have periodically surfaced over generations of Kennedys, whose members have held elected office and public roles across decades. This recent series of remarks and letters, however, represents a particularly visible break, with multiple relatives speaking publicly and directly about the fitness of a family member to serve in a federal cabinet position.
Senate deliberations around RFK Jr.’s nomination reflected broader debates in Washington about leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees major public health programs and policy implementation. Lawmakers from both parties pressed RFK Jr. on a range of issues during the hearing, according to attendees and public records, and some expressed concerns about his prior public statements and policy stances.
As of Friday, there was no immediate response from HHS or from RFK Jr. to Rep. Kennedy’s call for resignation. The public rebuke is likely to intensify pressure on senators and administration officials weighing how to address mounting criticism from within one of the nation’s most closely watched political families.