‘Babies change radically after vaccines,' Trump endorses vaccine conspiracy theory in a leaked video with RFK Jr
Donald Trump heard endorsing fake vaccine conspiracy theory in a phone conversation with RFK Jr.
In a shocking development, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been heard endorsing false conspiracy theories about childhood vaccinations. This emerged during a recently leaked call with third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., himself a known distributor of vaccine misinformation.
In the video, Trump claims that vaccines given to protect infants against life-threatening diseases can cause sudden, radical changes in babies. "You see the baby all of a sudden starting to change radically," Trump asserts, echoing discredited anti-vaccine rhetoric.
During the conversation, Trump suggests Kennedy take action on the issue, although it's unclear what specific actions he was recommending. "I would love you to do something. And I think it’ll be so good for you and so big for you," Trump says, followed by an optimistic "We’re going to win" the election, to which Kennedy responds affirmatively.
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The 98-second video, initially posted and then deleted by Kennedy’s son, Bobby Kennedy III, captures Trump’s voice on a cell phone held by Kennedy. The call further fuels allegations from Biden supporters that Kennedy's campaign could act as a spoiler, ultimately benefiting Trump.
Trump's assertions include discredited ideas about vaccine doses, comparing the quantity of vaccines given to babies to that meant for horses. "When you feed a baby, Bobby, in vaccination, it’s like 38 different vaccines and it looks like it’s meant for a horse," Trump claims.
The spread of such misinformation has contributed to declining childhood vaccination rates in the United States, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Biden campaign quickly reacted to the leak. "Trump and his anti-vax bud ‘Bobby’ are spreading dangerous conspiracy theories that threaten the lifesaving care that tens of millions of people depend on," Biden campaign spokesman Joe Costello said in a press release.
This incident raises significant concerns about the spread of vaccine misinformation and its impact on public health. The Trump-Kennedy conversation underscores the ongoing battle against vaccine conspiracies amid a global push for immunization and disease prevention.