Vice President JD Vance delivered a scathing rebuke to senators who challenged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a contentious Senate Finance Committee hearing Thursday, declaring they are “full of s— and everyone knows it.”
The explosive confrontation erupted after Sen. Ron Wyden (C-OR) launched sharp attacks against Kennedy during the hearing.
Wyden accused the HHS secretary of endangering children through reckless decisions and conspiracy-driven policies.
During the heated exchange, Wyden claimed Kennedy harbored “no regrets” about what the senator characterized as a “fundamentally cruel” agenda.
The Oregon Democrat pressed Kennedy aggressively throughout the session, creating one of the most contentious hearings in recent memory.
Kennedy fired back at his critic, pointing to Wyden’s lengthy tenure in Washington while chronic disease rates have climbed to 76 percent.
The secretary used Wyden’s decades-long career as a counterpoint to the senator’s criticisms, highlighting the failures of the existing healthcare establishment.
Vice President Vance took to X following the hearing to defend Kennedy with an unfiltered response.
The veep directly addressed the opposition senators with harsh language and profanity that shocked political observers.
“When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma,” Vance wrote on the social media platform.
“You’re full of s— and everyone knows it.”
Secretary Kennedy amplified the message by reposting it on his own account.
Kennedy expressed gratitude to Vance, writing “Thank you @JDVance. You put your finger squarely on the preeminent problem.”
White House officials rallied behind Kennedy following the contentious hearing.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt joined the defense of the embattled Secretary with her own pointed statement.
“Secretary @RobertKennedyJr is taking flak because he’s over the target,” Leavitt wrote.
“The Trump Administration is addressing root causes of chronic disease, embracing transparency in government, and championing gold-standard science. Only the Democrats could attack that commonsense effort.”
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich also weighed in with strong support for Kennedy. He characterized the Democrats’ performance during the hearing as a failure to engage with substantive healthcare issues.
“Democrats are getting absolutely TORCHED by @SecKennedy,” Budowich wrote.
“They seem uninterested in health or human services, just parrots of a failed medical orthodoxy that has made America less healthy. Great hearing and preparation by the Sec.”
The heated Senate hearing occurred just one day after more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees publicly called for Kennedy’s resignation from his position, Fox News reported.
Wyden leveled serious accusations during the hearing against Kennedy’s leadership of the federal health agency.
The senator accused Kennedy of elevating conspiracy theories and mismanaging federal health agencies throughout his tenure as secretary.
Wyden characterized Kennedy’s time as Secretary as being defined by “chaos” and “corruption” that he claimed benefited Kennedy personally and President Donald Trump while increasing health costs for American families.
The senator’s accusations painted a picture of an administration prioritizing political interests over public health.
The Democratic senator also accused Kennedy of “taking vaccines away from Americans” and threatening medical professionals who deviated from his department’s guidelines.
