'I Probably Did Say That': Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Grilled on Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories and Other Wild Remarks at Confirmation Hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, January 29, the 71-year-old was put in the hot seat on the first day of his confirmation hearings as he faced a barrage of questions on his wildly controversial comments on vaccines, Covid-19 and more.

Senator Michael Bennet came out swinging as he accused Kennedy Jr. of spending a majority of his life "peddling in half truths, peddling in false statements" and "peddling in theories that create doubt about whether or not things that we know are safe are unsafe."

Bennet pointed out that Kennedy Jr. had a history of questioning the safety of certain vaccines, which in turn, allegedly encouraged other parents to choose not to vaccinate their kids.

"Not that every vaccine in America is unsafe, not that you can’t possibly have an adverse reaction, but that parents and children in my old school district and school districts all over this country would be better off not getting vaccinated than getting vaccinated," he claimed. "Unlike his own children who are vaccinated. Unlike the people he invited to his house in Los Angeles for their party who were vaccinated. For everybody else, it’s about peddling these half truths. And he says it with such conviction that you want to believe him."

Bennett then asked the Health Secretary nominee if he ever said that "Covid-19 was a genetically engineered bio weapon that targets Black and white people, but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?"

Kennedy Jr. replied that he quoted an "NIH study" when he made those comments.

"I’ll take that as a yes," Bennett said.

Bennet swiftly continued, "Did you say that Lyme disease is is highly likely a materially engineered bioweapon? I made sure I put in the 'highly likely.' Did you say Lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon?"

Kennedy Jr. admitted he "probably did say that," to which the senator added, "I want all of our colleagues to hear it, Mr. Kennedy. I want them to hear it. You said yes."

Bennett further questioned Kennedy Jr. on whether he'd ever said that exposure to pesticides could cause "children to become transgender?" The politician swiftly denied it, but Bennet said he'd have the "record" of his remarks given to the chairman of the committee.

When asked if he wrote in his own book that it was "undeniable" that "African AIDS is an entirely different disease from western AIDS," Kennedy Jr. said he was "not sure."

His confirmation hearing is expected to continue on Thursday, January 29.