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Evidence contradicts RFK Jr. Senate testimony on Samoa 2019 trip

newsJun 25, 202619463

An email from a colleague says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2019 visit to Samoa was a vaccine-related "mission," directly contradicting his repeated testimony to the U.S. Senate that the trip "had nothing to do with vaccines." The message, sent just before the trip, describes vaccine-focused activity and was disclosed alongside reporting that examined Kennedy's role in Samoa. A measles outbreak a few months after the visit sickened thousands on the island and killed 83 people, mostly children under five. Samoan officials later said Kennedy's presence bolstered the credibility of anti-vaccine activists during that period. Senator Ron Wyden responded to the new reporting by saying the findings "offer more proof that Robert Kennedy is a liar on a mission to take vaccines away from kids who need them." The email has prompted critics to call for further congressional scrutiny, including questions about whether Kennedy lied to the Senate and whether that should trigger formal investigations or other congressional action.

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