{"id":16260,"date":"2026-07-25T01:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=16260"},"modified":"2026-07-25T01:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:06:12","slug":"congrats-to-rfk-jr-democrats-pundits-pile-on-as-measles-cases-hit-record-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=16260","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Congrats to RFK Jr.\u2019: Democrats, Pundits Pile On as Measles Cases Hit Record High"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5655965\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5655965\" class=\"wp-image-5655965 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/09\/RFK-Jr.jpeg\" alt=\"RFK Jr.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5655965\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After news <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2026-measles-cases-cdc-outbreak-elimination-371823df32b92169c3d220295f00f054\">broke<\/a> Friday that measles cases in the U.S. have already broken 2025&#8217;s record high, just seven months into the year, Democratic lawmakers and pundits alike took to the internet to lay into Health and Human Services Secretary<strong> Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/07\/24\/well\/measles-record-united-states-numbers.html?eafs_enabled=false\">new data<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has now recorded 2,318 confirmed measles cases in 2026, the highest annual total since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The surge comes as multiple outbreaks continue across the country, with the overwhelming majority of infections occurring among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Public health experts have repeatedly warned that declining childhood vaccination rates have left communities more vulnerable to outbreaks, and many have questioned Kennedy&#8217;s stewardship of the nation&#8217;s health agencies. Since taking office, he&#8217;s drawn scrutiny for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/opinion\/rfk-jrs-measles-op-ed-plays-the-same-old-anti-vaxx-games-but-fox-news-threw-their-readers-a-lifeline\/\">minimizing<\/a> the risks of measles, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/04\/13\/health\/kennedy-vaccines-confidence-access.html\">stopping federal funding<\/a> for vaccine hesitancy research, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/11\/health\/kennedy-vaccine-safety.html\">emphasizing further study<\/a> of vaccine safety even as health officials continue to say the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine remains the best protection against the disease.<\/p>\n<p>Folks wasted no time before pointing the finger on X at Kennedy, the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; movement, and President <strong>Donald<\/strong> <strong>Trump&#8217;s <\/strong>administration as a whole, with former <em>Meet the Press\u00a0<\/em>host <strong>Chuck Todd<\/strong> writing Friday, &#8220;Congrats to RFK Jr., or something. I\u2019m no lawyer, but once he\u2019s out of the protection of Gov\u2019t and the limited immunity he receives from holding the office he holds, is he not open to a slew of civil litigation for his role in misleading so many parents on this issue?&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"0300c84517fbc693b2360d4f14f98beb\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Congrats to RFK Jr., or something. I\u2019m no lawyer, but once he\u2019s out of the protection of Gov\u2019t and the limited immunity he receives from holding the office he holds, is he not open to a slew of civil litigation for his role in misleading so many parents on this issue? And, yes,\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/z5N1Sf0cbC\">https:\/\/t.co\/z5N1Sf0cbC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chucktodd\/status\/2080677501253063058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Senator <strong>Raphael Warnock<\/strong> (D-GA) also chimed in, adding, &#8220;There is one effective way to reduce the spread and severity of measles: Vaccination. And RFK Jr. has undermined it at every turn. He is a hazard to our health and must resign.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"1aa1a8a1f875f92d1c0955e135cfffdf\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There is one effective way to reduce the spread and severity of measles: Vaccination. <\/p>\n<p>And RFK Jr. has undermined it at every turn. <\/p>\n<p>He is a hazard to our health and must resign.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenatorWarnock\/status\/2080719537628979321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Check out more reactions below, including from Sens. <strong>Mark<\/strong> <strong>Warner<\/strong> (D-VA) and <strong>Dick<\/strong> <strong>Durbin<\/strong> (D-IL) and Reps. <strong>Kim Schrier<\/strong> (D-WA) and <strong>Haley Stevens<\/strong> (D-MI).<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"c448602f49eded2837d2e1efe80d9198\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Measles cases are reaching a record-breaking high in our country. <\/p>\n<p>This is a dangerous and unacceptable threat to our public health that happens when you empower anti-vax conspiracy theorists like RFK Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services.\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. (@RepKimSchrier) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepKimSchrier\/status\/2080695594083823687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"80415236300f8396671060978ac5d236\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING: Measles cases just hit a new record high in the U.S. for the first time in 35 years.<\/p>\n<p>RFK Jr.\u2019s attack on vaccines has put Michiganders in danger and proven that he has no business being in charge of public health. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1tvl7sStb3\">https:\/\/t.co\/1tvl7sStb3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rep. Haley Stevens (@RepHaleyStevens) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepHaleyStevens\/status\/2080691857214878093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"3a645ab2f6169b11ce1c9768dd456697\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There have been more American measles cases in the past two years than from every year from 2000 to 2024\u2026 combined.<\/p>\n<p>This administration\u2019s MAHA policies are making our kids sicker and less safe.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MarkWarner\/status\/2080731922603360547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"44847eb56ae2a7bafe063e4685af165e\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">From Ebola and hantavirus to measles and cyclospora, Trump and DOGE\u2019s destruction of USAID has deeply undermined our ability to respond to disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n<p>Their short-sighted cuts are putting lives at risk, and Congress must fight back against the Trump Administration\u2019s\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Fvub5yJAPe\">pic.twitter.com\/Fvub5yJAPe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenatorDurbin\/status\/2080320187417395596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"99fc2f374982c48ca053d2c1023a0397\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I have to admit I don\u2019t give the Trump administration enough credit. <\/p>\n<p>Only they could send measles cases through the roof like this! A 35-year record high number of cases is a big deal. <\/p>\n<p>MAHA, am I right? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NTPTmJDHMc\">pic.twitter.com\/NTPTmJDHMc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (@malcolmkenyatta) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/malcolmkenyatta\/status\/2080079946182009153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"4a748a034496605898e11ac82f916891\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hey RFK, do you have some magic oil or peptides or crystals to give children suffering hearing loss, neurological issues thanks to measles? What&#039;s your prevention strategy in the absence of vaccines, huh?<br \/>One way we know vaccines work? Take them away and watch what happens. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nOB2vR0uV8\">https:\/\/t.co\/nOB2vR0uV8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Laurie_Garrett\/status\/2080702523711562126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"da9e25280b10b0eeebb8828a3575c011\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We have now reached the highest number of measles cases since the U.S. declared the disease eliminated.<\/p>\n<p>Measles resurgence was preventable. Allowing vaccine coverage to decline represents a profound public health failure. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/08XH5PqQFj\">pic.twitter.com\/08XH5PqQFj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dr. Catharine Young (@DrCatharineY) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DrCatharineY\/status\/2080686535494549938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"f5729f07d607eebf7d02ae18ae388fdd\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thanks to the anti-vaxxers promoted by Trump&#039;s &quot;health&quot; secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., more measles cases have been reported in the United States in the last two years than in all the years from 2000 through 2024 combined. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3XX3iLDwuw\">https:\/\/t.co\/3XX3iLDwuw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KenRoth\/status\/2080719856781988200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"1b49bdb0f44f4568cb288854816c79b0\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">RESULT of having a HHS Secretary who doesn&#039;t believe in science. SHAME ON YOU RFK JR!<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fPhTbhFrzZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/fPhTbhFrzZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Peter Morley (@morethanmySLE) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/morethanmySLE\/status\/2080679636862669021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"ea4bf8aad8c21f1a59320c585412ccee\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We live in the most self destructive country. Amazing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nlq9DpS8rs\">https:\/\/t.co\/nlq9DpS8rs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WajahatAli\/status\/2080684168124527020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"41a6393cf629350143dd6c06503719cc\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Measles cases hit Record in U.S. thanks to the criminal RFK Jr. who takes money to lie about vaccines. This entire administration is an abomination.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Tate (@JamesTate121) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JamesTate121\/status\/2080677196675297316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/online\/congrats-to-rfk-jr-democrats-pundits-pile-on-as-measles-cases-hit-record-high\/\">\u2018Congrats to RFK Jr.\u2019: Democrats, Pundits Pile On as Measles Cases Hit Record High<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\">Mediaite<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein) After news broke Friday that measles cases in the U.S. have already broken 2025&#8217;s record high, just seven months into the year, Democratic lawmakers and pundits alike took to the internet to lay into Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to new data from the Centers for Disease&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/09\/RFK-Jr.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}