During today’s Senate hearing, Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch launched a coordinated smear campaign against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Rather than engaging in an honest debate, they twisted facts, ignored Kennedy’s record, and relied on blatant hypocrisy to attack his credibility. But a closer look at the facts behind their attacks reveals just how dishonest and politically motivated their tactics were.
Sanders’ Hypocrisy: Big Pharma’s Favorite Socialist?
Bernie Sanders, who built his career railing against corporate greed, attacked Kennedy for his past ties to the Children’s Health Defense (CHD)—specifically because CHD sold anti-vaccine merchandise like “Unvaxxed, Unafraid” onesies. Yet what Sanders didn’t mention is that he himself has received over $1.9 million from the pharmaceutical and health products industry, according to OpenSecrets.
While Kennedy has spent decades fighting corporate corruption, Sanders has quietly taken money from the very industry he claims to oppose. So if Sanders is really so concerned about financial conflicts of interest, he might want to start with his own campaign donors.
The “Yes or No” Charade
Throughout the hearing, Sanders used a tired political trick—demanding yes or no answers to complex issues:
- “Do you believe healthcare is a human right? Yes or no?”
- “Will you support my legislation to cap drug prices? Yes or no?”
- “Is climate change real or a hoax?”
Instead of allowing nuanced discussion, Sanders repeatedly interrupted Kennedy and framed any attempt at explanation as evasion. Yet when it comes to pharmaceutical price gouging, where is Sanders’ real-world action? Instead of fighting for price caps and accountability, he has taken money from the industry.
Kennedy has spent years suing Big Pharma—something Sanders has never done. Instead, Sanders uses grandstanding and slogans while ignoring real accountability.
Welch’s Personal Attack: A Disgraceful Moment
Peter Welch went even lower, weaponizing Kennedy’s past heroin addiction and questioning his “stability” to run a federal agency.
This is a blatant betrayal of his progressive values. The same politician who claims to champion rehabilitation and second chances threw all that away the moment it was politically convenient to attack Kennedy.
Even more laughably dishonest, Welch claimed Kennedy had no leadership experience.
Here’s the reality:
- Hudson Riverkeeper – Chief Prosecuting Attorney Led legal battles against polluters, setting national precedents in environmental law.
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) – Senior Attorney Helped run one of the largest environmental legal organizations in the world.
- Waterkeeper Alliance – Founder & President Built it into a global organization with over 300 chapters in 47 countries. Managed a multimillion-dollar budget while fighting Big Oil, Big Ag, and polluters.
Meanwhile, Welch’s own legislative record is paper-thin compared to Kennedy’s real-world impact.
Bernie’s Biggest Blunder: Attacking RFK Jr. on Climate Change
Perhaps the most embarrassing moment of the hearing was when Sanders smugly asked RFK Jr.:
“Is climate change real or a hoax?”
This wasn’t just a bad-faith question—it was an outright joke coming from Sanders.
Let’s compare their records:
- RFK Jr. was fighting corporate polluters in the 1970s and 1980s—filing lawsuits, prosecuting cases, and winning major legal victories.
- Sanders? He spent the 1970s losing socialist campaigns and making a documentary about Eugene V. Debs, a radical labor leader who spent time in prison for his activism.
By the time Sanders even heard the phrase “climate change”, RFK Jr. had already:
✅ Won environmental lawsuits against major corporations.
✅ Helped create the first national water protection framework.
✅ Founded and led one of the world’s largest environmental organizations.
So when Sanders acted like RFK Jr. needed to “prove” he believes in climate change, the real question should have been:
“Bernie, where were you when RFK Jr. was actually doing something about it?”
Trump Himself Proved RFK Jr. Isn’t a “Yes-Man”
Another major lie pushed during the hearing was that Kennedy only changed his positions to align with Trump.
Yet Trump himself has said otherwise.
- When asked about Kennedy joining his administration, Trump joked that he liked RFK Jr. working on health, but wanted to keep him away from environmental policy.
- Why? Because Kennedy has spent decades aggressively going after corporate polluters, while Trump’s environmental policies have often favored deregulation.
- If Kennedy were just a Trump puppet, Trump wouldn’t have admitted they don’t see eye-to-eye on major issues.
So why did Sanders and Welch pretend otherwise? Because their goal wasn’t truth—it was a smear job.
The PBM Scandal Sanders and Welch Ignore
Both Sanders and Welch attacked Kennedy for supposedly not doing enough on healthcare reform. Yet they conveniently ignored the biggest scam in drug pricing today: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs).
These middlemen inflate drug prices, exploit the system, and cost Americans billions.
- Trump has openly said he wants to eliminate PBMs.
- Sanders and Welch? They’ve been in Congress for decades—and done next to nothing about them.
- The same PBMs driving up drug prices are part of the pharmaceutical lobbying machine that donates to politicians—including Sanders.
If Sanders and Welch really cared about drug prices, they’d go after PBMs, not attack Kennedy for trying to hold Big Pharma accountable.
The Verdict: A Dishonest Hearing Designed to Smear RFK Jr.
What should have been a policy debate turned into a shameless political hit job by two career politicians who fear an outsider willing to challenge the corrupt status quo.
Instead of honestly debating Kennedy, Sanders and Welch:
- Misrepresented his record on healthcare, abortion, and climate change.
- Ignored their own financial ties to pharmaceutical companies while attacking Kennedy.
- Used personal attacks and rhetorical tricks instead of engaging in real debate.
But their biggest mistake? They underestimated RFK Jr.
Unlike them, he’s actually fought powerful industries and won.
And that’s exactly why they fear him.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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