Whopper of the Week: RFK Jr.’s a Dissembling Ghoul: A Halloween Whopper Collection

Whopper of the Week: 

RFK JR. IS A DISSEMBLING GHOUL: A HALLOWEEN WHOPPER COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION

For Halloween, instead of a single Whopper, we’ve collected  some of Secretary Kennedy’s most ghoulishly dishonest statements of 2026. Readers who are easily frightened should proceed at their own risk!
 

THE SCARIEST WHOPPERS

Pretending Germs Don’t Cause Disease

“I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.” -- February 12, 2026

“I will literally eat anything. I don't have a gag reflex — let me put it like that. I will eat anything, and I love experimenting with foods.” – August 4, 2026                

Kennedy does not believe that germs cause disease. People who are not fit, in his “terrain theory” view of illness, have weak immune systems and are susceptible to disease. Strong, healthy people (like Kennedy in his weird Rock Out Workout video), don’t need to worry about the dangers of snorting cocaine off toilet seats or eating roadkill because if you get sick, the “root cause” of disease is you, not the pathogen. 

Refusing to Respond to the Worst Measles Outbreak in Decades

“It [measles outbreak] has nothing to do with me” -- April 22, 2026

Dana Bash: “Do you accept some responsibility for this measles outbreak?”
Kennedy : “Absolutely not.” – August 2, 2026

“We’re doing a better job than any country in the world at controlling the measles outbreak. This is a worldwide epidemic.” – August 26, 2026 

In 2026 the United States is likely to reach almost 6,500 measles cases, and to date states have reported 6 measles associated deaths. The outbreak is the worst in 35 years in the United States, with official numbers undercounting the size of the epidemic. This year, the United States will likely lose its measles elimination status, which it first obtained from the World Health Organization in 2000. Measles is a serious disease that can be safely avoided with two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. In his role as Health Secretary, Kennedy is absolutely responsible for coordinating the national response to domestic epidemics – and he’s completely failed. 

Minimizing Naturally Occurring Infectious Diseases

“Maybe that's a better thing [if fewer people get the flu vaccine].”  – January 7, 2026

“There is no scientific evidence that the flu vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalizations, or death in children.” – January 7, 2026

“HepB is a terrible disease, but babies are not at risk unless… their mother is infected.” -- April 21, 2026

Kennedy claimed RSV was “the biggest killer of kids in this country today” because (he falsely claims) it was developed in a lab. – August 2, 2026

Vaccines are recommended because infectious diseases like influenza, hepatitis B and respiratory synctitial virus (RSV) are serious, naturally occurring infections. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the benefits of vaccines for preventing disease and severe outcomes such as hospitalization, disability and death, far outweigh the side effects of vaccines, which is why, until 2026, the CDC recommended that children be vaccinated. During the 2025-2026 season, 198 children died of flu. Up to 3% of children in their first year after birth are hospitalized because of RSV infection, but RSV is nowhere close to the top cause of death in children (it's firearms). Kennedy has spent decades campaigning against vaccines, minimizing the dangers of disease and exaggerating the risks of vaccination. Kennedy's anti-vaccine howls lure parents and haunt pediatricians. 

Autism

“We’re raising kids that are so damaged that their lives are just focused on their illness or their injury, there’s something gonna be really wrong with our country.” -- Sept 17, 2026

“There’s two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism and it’s highly likely because they are given Tylenol.” – May 26, 2026         

“Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children… These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted." – April 16, 2026
                       
Kennedy has repeatedly characterized people with autism as damaged and a burden. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a disease, and in most cases are likely related to genetics. Kennedy stirs fear about autism rates and anger at alleged toxins (like vaccines or Tylenol) that he falsely claims are increasing prevalence of the condition. Autism advocacy organizations are increasingly worried about how Kennedy’s rhetoric and policies, including collecting data about autism diagnoses and promoting alternative therapies, will affect them.

Gender Affirming Care

“The era of children being taken advantage of for sex-rejecting procedures is over.” – August 11, 2026

Kennedy, and the Trump administration more broadly, are trying to eliminate access to gender affirming care, starting with children. By prohibiting federal programs from paying specified treatments for minors, investigating hospitals, withholding hospital participation in Medicaid and Medicare, and pressuring medical organizations that support care for minors, they are chipping away at much-needed services. Gender-affirming care is a legitimate, cautious, and often lifesaving branch of health care, supported overwhelmingly by medical and psychiatric organizations. The true danger comes from denying this care to those who need it. 

Food and Hunger

“We are ending the war on protein.”

“If you buy a Porterhouse steak or a strip steak, it is gonna set you back. You can buy liver or the cheaper cuts of steak that are very, very affordable," – February 27, 2026

“We lose a million people a year in this country dead. From food-induced disease, it's all preventable.” – September 17, 2026

Kennedy’s “Eat Real Food” public relations campaign is based on the updated 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines, which emphasize the consumption of animal proteins and fats. Americans eat more than enough protein, and too much fat and protein can be bad for your health. American families are struggling with the high cost of groceries, and meat in particular. Kennedy’s suggestion to eat organ meat is condescending and out of touch, coming from an administration that has cruelly cut access to food benefits for over 770,000 children this year. 

CONCLUSION: YES, YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID

Secretary Kennedy’s words are scary and threatening. His actions pose a clear and present danger to Americans’ health. This Halloween, the scariest monster is the one running the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy the grim reaper is coming for all of us.

Contributions by:  Benedicte Callan, Ph.D., Aurora Horstkamp, M.D., Bruce Mirken, Mary Canales, R.N., Ph.D., David Moskowitz M.F.A.