Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been such an awful Secretary of Health and Human Services, it feels like a zillion years since he faced questions about how his anti-vaxxism spread measles in Samoa. But thanks to new reporting by Associated Press and The Guardian, we now know that he lied to Congress when he said the purpose of his trip there had nothing to do with vaccines.

As The Guardian explained, in 2019, while Kennedy was still a private anti-vaxxer, he visited Samoa “just months before a measles outbreak swept through the island, killing 83 people. … The visit was seen by critics as having emboldened anti-vaccine activists in Samoa.” It was also one of the most controversial events in his career, The Guardian said.

During his 2025 confirmation hearing, Kennedy was repeatedly asked about his visit and he repeatedly denied it had anything to do with vaccines. For example, he told Sen. Ron Wyden, “I went there, nothing to do with vaccines. I went there to introduce a medical informatics system that would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient.”

That was a big, fat lie. Both AP and The Guardian have receipts. In his January 2019 letter to the prime minister of Samoa, “Kennedy explicitly said he wanted to study the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the Pacific island nation. In it, he used the words ‘vaccine’ or ‘vaccination’ eight times,” The Guardian pointed out.

Rather than explain the discrepancy between Kennedy’s confirmation statements and his letter, the HHS Department responded by accusing the outlets of defaming him. But as The New Republic reported, “It’s a felony to make false statements to or conceal facts from the federal government, as detailed by U.S. Code.”

This news broke in the middle of a measles outbreak in Pennsylvania that just claimed two, unvaccinated lives. Kennedy responded with another barrage of dangerous BS. He attacked the governor and suggested the deaths had been fabricated or not caused by measles. Underling Dr. Mehmet Oz covered for him with similar propaganda.

I know Kennedy will probably get away with this, at least so long as Republicans control Congress. But in case you need another reason to vote blue in the upcoming midterms, a Democratic Congress could not only impeach him but haul his behind to Congress and make him do some serious ‘splaining.