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On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before Congress to defend his dismantling of the nation’s public-health infrastructure, which has included mass layoffs and cuts to crucial medical research. Minutes into his testimony, he was interrupted by protesters — including Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen.
“RFK kills people with AIDS,” a handful of protesters in the audience chanted. As they were forced out of the room by police, Cohen stood up and yelled, “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the U.S.,” before he too was detained. The New York Times reports that Cohen was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor offense.
Among the many conspiracy theories he promotes, RFK Jr. has disputed the well-established fact that HIV infection causes AIDS, and under his leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services has slashed funding for HIV research and prevention. The U.N. has warned that Trump administration cuts to international humanitarian aid will likely result in millions of deaths from AIDS.
During his testimony, RFK Jr. once again waffled on his stance on vaccination, admitting he doesn’t think “people should be taking medical advice from me” despite the fact that he is now the nation’s top health official. He also falsely claimed that he has “not fired any working scientists” and was “not withholding money for lifesaving research” while promoting Trump’s “big beautiful” budget, which includes cuts to Medicaid that even some Republicans find unpalatable.
Earlier on Wednesday, Cohen — who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank — joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib at a press conference at the Capitol denouncing Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. “We are expected to be good Americans and look the other way as Israel prevents food, water, and medicine from reaching the remaining people of Gaza,” he said. “We will not look away. We will not be silenced. We will do everything we can to get our government to stop being complicit in starving little kids to death.”
