Out of Trump's entire cast of rejected supervillains from a movie about HYDRA, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is the most obviously delusional bullshitter; and yet owing to both his position, and the absolutely unhinged shit he processes to believe about health and medicine, he might legitimately be the most dangerous reactionary in the whole fascist cabinet. We've already talked about Kennedy's anti-science, anti-vax conspiracy beliefs, and his ablest, eugenicist attacks on autistic people; as a recent Ars Technical article drawn from RFK Jr's own book points out however, Kennedy is also a self-admitted germ theory denialist. No, really; this guy is on the wrong side of a biology debate settled in the 19th Century.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/04/rfk-jr-s-anti-vaccine-stance-is-rooted-in-a-disbelief-in-germ-theory/

RFK Jr. rejects cornerstone of health science: Germ theory

"The trouble is that now that Kennedy is the country's top health official, his warped ideas are contributing to the rise of a dystopian reality. Federal health agencies are spiraling into chaos, and critical public health services for Americans have been brutally slashed, dismantled, or knee-capped—from infectious disease responses, the lead poisoning team, and Meals on Wheels to maternal health programs and anti-smoking initiatives, just to name a few. The health of the nation is at stake; the struggle to understand what goes on in Kennedy's head is vital.

While we may never have definitive answers on his cognitive situation, one thing is plain: Kennedy's thoughts and actions make a lot more sense when you realize he doesn't believe in a foundational scientific principle: germ theory."

Okay so this isn't the most important thing to take from this article, but I'd just like to start with the fact that Kennedy is such a hack that he keeps calling his beliefs about health and disease "miasma theory" (an even older, and more discredited idea about "vapors" causing disease) but the beliefs he's describing actually align with (the still discredited) "terrain theory." This fraud-ass woo-peddling not even a doctor freak is busting out old-timey medical woo from the 1800's and he can't even be arsed to get the name of the hokum he's peddling right? At some point it really doesn't matter if Kennedy is a true believer in objectively wrong pseudo-science or an assclown grifter, but based on him using the term "miasma theory" to describe a completely different bullshit idea, I'm leaning towards assclown grifter.

Given that Kennedy has made himself a sort of anti-Big Pharma prophet in the larger fascist right by deflecting (justified) American anger towards the for-profit pharmaceutical industry, into unhelpful conspiracy channels and the arms of "wellness gurus" who're closely aligned with right wing politics, it doesn't really matter what RFK Jr believes in his heart. His objectives however, couldn't be any clearer if you read why he rejects germ theory.

"Kennedy contrasts his erroneous take on miasma theory with germ theory, which he derides as a tool of the pharmaceutical industry and pushy scientists to justify selling modern medicines. The abandonment of miasma theory, Kennedy bemoans, realigned health and medical institutions to "the pharmaceutical paradigm that emphasized targeting particular germs with specific drugs rather than fortifying the immune system through healthy living, clean water, and good nutrition."

According to Kennedy, germ theory gained popularity, not because of the undisputed evidence supporting it, but by "mimicking the traditional explanation for disease—demon possession—giving it a leg up over miasma."

To this day, Kennedy writes, a "$1 trillion pharmaceutical industry pushing patented pills, powders, pricks, potions, and poisons, and the powerful professions of virology and vaccinology led by 'Little Napoleon' himself, Anthony Fauci, fortify the century-old predominance of germ theory."

In all, the chapter provides a clear explanation of why Kennedy relentlessly attacks evidence-based medicines; vilifies the pharmaceutical industry; suggests HIV doesn't cause AIDS and antidepressants are behind mass shootings; believes that vaccines are harmful, not protective; claims 5G wireless networks cause cancer; suggests chemicals in water are changing children's gender identities; and is quick to promote supplements to prevent and treat diseases, such as recently recommending vitamin A for measles and falsely claiming children who die from the viral infection are malnourished."

Folks, have I mentioned that this man is literally not a doctor, or scientist, but he's in charge of the entire health apparatus of the American government yet? Kennedy's ability to blur the line between crank, reactionary grifter, and eugenicist ideologue puts him on par with your average crypto-fascist Youtuber; the problem is that we're locked in with him, forced to watch his channel because he's running HHS.