Whoopi Goldberg sharply criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, calling his vaccine policies "BS" and saying they amounted to "playing Russian roulette with the lives of children." Goldberg made the remarks during the Season 29 premiere of ABC's The View, a day after Kennedy faced intense questioning from senators of both parties at a contentious hearing last week.
On the live broadcast, the show aired clips of Kennedy being grilled by lawmakers and highlighted several policy moves that have drawn scrutiny, including the cancellation of $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts and the appointment of an advisory committee that includes prominent vaccine skeptics. Goldberg said the combination of those actions and Kennedy's public statements amounted to an abdication of responsibility.
"Any time you go to a school, it is a — who knows what’s in there? They sneeze, everybody gets sick," Goldberg said. "There are reasons that people put these mandates in place. Now, you want to get rid of all of them? You’re basically saying, ‘Let’s see what happens if your kid goes to school with other kids.’ And your grandparents, who are elderly, are in with your grandkids. So now, you’re saying, y’all don’t care." She added that decisions about vaccines are controllable public-health measures and urged viewers to "not put up with this BS."
Co-host Joy Behar drew attention to four Republican senators with medical degrees who voted to confirm Kennedy to his post. Goldberg said those senators "all made a decision to follow a road that has a nine-million-foot drop," criticizing elected officials who supported Kennedy despite concerns about his stance on vaccines.
Kennedy's Senate hearing last week featured questioning from Democrats and Republicans about his approach to immunization policy and public-health messaging. Lawmakers pressed him on the rationale for canceling mRNA vaccine contracts and on the composition of his advisory panel, which includes members who have expressed skepticism about widely used vaccines.
Goldberg has previously publicly rebuked Kennedy. In February she warned against taking his comments about a measles outbreak in Texas at face value after he described the outbreak as "not unusual," saying that people could die if they followed his guidance without checking infectious-disease facts. The exchange on Monday reiterated her calls for vigilance on vaccination and public-health safeguards.
The debate on The View also referenced policy discussions in several states, including Florida, where officials have signaled moves to end school vaccine mandates. Those state-level shifts, coupled with federal actions such as contract cancellations and advisory appointments, have intensified scrutiny from public-health advocates and sparked broader political debate over the role of vaccine requirements in protecting children and vulnerable populations.
Kennedy's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment during the broadcast. The back-and-forth on national television underscores ongoing tensions between the Biden and Trump administrations' appointees, public-health officials, elected lawmakers and media figures over vaccine policy, messaging and the balance between individual choice and community protection.
Public-health experts and many medical organizations have long cited vaccination mandates and high uptake as key tools in preventing outbreaks and protecting those who are most vulnerable. The clash on The View reflects how those technical and medical discussions have become focal points in political and cultural debates ahead of the 2024 election year and in state policymaking.
As the controversy continues, lawmakers and public-health officials are expected to press Kennedy for further details on vaccine procurement decisions, advisory appointments and how the department plans to address potential impacts on children, elderly people and others at higher risk of severe illness.