Lancet Issues Scathing Rebuke of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
One of the world’s leading medical journals, The Lancet, has issued a strongly worded editorial criticizing U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., marking his first year in office. The editorial, titled “Robert F. Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure,” appears in the latest issue of the journal.
A Stark Assessment
The editorial features a quote on its front cover: “The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might accept generations to repair and there is little hope for US health and science while he remains at the helm.” The Lancet’s editorial board details what it considers controversial actions taken under Kennedy’s leadership, including the dismissal of agency employees, revisions of guidelines that contradict established scientific consensus, cuts to scientific research funding, and the undermining of vaccine policy through the promotion of what it describes as “junk science and fringe beliefs.”
The Lancet’s Standing and Kennedy’s Response
The Lancet is a highly respected, peer-reviewed medical journal with a long history and a high impact factor, making it one of the most frequently cited publications in the medical world. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NPR regarding the editorial. Yet, Secretary Kennedy has previously expressed skepticism towards mainstream medical journals.
In a podcast appearance last year, Kennedy stated that government scientists might stop publishing in high-profile journals – including The Lancet – because he believes they are “corrupt” and influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. He has even suggested potential legal action against such journals.
Support and Criticism
Allies of Kennedy, such as National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, have defended him, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “Sec. Kennedy is fixing the mess they helped make.” Critics, however, have pointed out that The Lancet itself has faced scrutiny in the past, notably for publishing and later retracting a discredited paper by Andrew Wakefield that falsely claimed a link between vaccines, and autism.
Rising Measles Cases
The editorial comes as the U.S. Is experiencing a resurgence of measles. As of Friday, February 28, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 1,000 measles cases in the U.S. For the year, CDC, making it likely the country will soon lose its measles elimination status.
Concerns Over Public Health Trust
The Lancet editorial references Kennedy’s initial pledge to restore trust in public health and foster “honest engagement with everyone willing to perform towards making the USA healthy again.” However, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, suggests that Kennedy’s actions were predictable.
“You basically have the most prolific anti-vaccine advocate in the highest position of power in the federal government when it comes to health,” PBS Adalja told NPR.
President Donald Trump reacted to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate Finance Committee testimony on Thursday, September 4, 2025, which came after a week of rapid-moving shakeups at the nation’s health agency. Trump told ABC News that RFK Jr. “means very well” and that he heard his HHS Secretary “did very well” during his hearing on Capitol Hill, but noted he did not watch the hearing. ABC News