RFK Jr.’s Sister and Nephew Say He’s a Threat to Americans’ Health—Now They’re Begging Him to Resign
I don’t usually get this unsettled by political news, but this one hit me in a peculiar way. Imagine watching someone you once admired—someone whose family name carries such weight—being publicly condemned by their own siblings and relatives. That’s the strange, almost surreal feeling I had reading about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the sharp rebukes from his own family.
It all unfolded just after a tense Senate Finance Committee hearing. RFK Jr., now serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, sparked fierce criticism—not only from medical experts and political leaders but from inside his own family. His nephew, Joe Kennedy III, didn’t mince words. On X, the former congressman wrote that his uncle “is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American.” He urged him to step down, accusing him of dismissing science, misleading the public, sidelining experts, and sowing confusion.
Then came Kerry Kennedy’s statement—heart-wrenching because it’s hard to hear criticism come from your sister. She wrote that “medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership.” More: she warned that the erosion of trusted institutions like the NIH and CDC could cost innocent lives—children, mothers, fathers, all people you love are now more at risk than ever. Enough is enough, she said—RFK Jr. must resign now.
That kind of public family rupture is rare. The Kennedy family has always been one of America’s most storied political dynasties, known for their unity—even in disagreements. So to see Kerry and Joe go public this way feels like something deeper is unraveling. It’s not just policy disagreement—it’s moral panic, a fear that their brother and uncle is steering America in a troubling direction.
It wasn’t just them. Jack Schlossberg, a grandson of JFK, added fuel to the fire. He posted on X that RFK Jr. is “a threat to public health and American scientific leadership,” calling out lies to Congress and piling on the pressure. The media response followed quickly: The Associated Press described the family’s statements as part of growing public and political scrutiny, noting his moves to curtail vaccine recommendations and purge CDC leadership.
And the tabloid world didn’t hold back either. The Daily Beast and Town & Country both ran stories highlighting the family fallout, with descriptions of RFK Jr. as “misguided” and “incompetent,” tied to concerns about public health consequences. The New York Post added more heat by reporting the family feud in stark terms: brother against sister, nephew against uncle.
Beneath the headlines, though, what struck me is just how painful this must be for all involved. A sibling telling another they’re incompetent and dangerous—that’s devastating. It’s the kind of moment where the personal and the political bleed into each other, and you realize that public roles can fracture private relationships in ways you can’t easily imagine.
I can’t help but wonder what it says about the moment we’re in that this story grabbed me so hard. Maybe it’s the symbolism—a political figure so polarizing that even his family feels the need to draw a line. Or maybe it’s that COVID and public health have left wounds too fresh for words, and seeing a figure like RFK Jr. at the center of them makes people feel anxious, protective, worried.
At the end of the day, RFK Jr. refuses to step down—for now. The question now is where it goes next. Will this family intervention shift public opinion? Will lawmakers see this as a wake-up call? Or will it be dismissed as internal family drama? I don’t know. But I do know this: when a family as revered as the Kennedys gathers to say enough is enough, something is very, very wrong. And it’s not just politics. It’s familial grief being played out on the national stage.
