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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Faces Calls for Resignation After Records Reveal He Misled Congress on 2019 Samoa Vaccine Trip

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing mounting pressure to resign or be fired following the discovery of records that contradict his testimony during last year's Senate confirmation hearings. During the hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed his 2019 visit to Samoa had "nothing to do with vaccines." However, newly obtained letters reveal he explicitly told the Samoan prime minister he intended to study the country's measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Democratic senators, including Ron Wyden and Ed Markey, have accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of lying to Congress, with Wyden calling for a criminal investigation into the health secretary's conduct. The administration announced that the Samoa visit was unrelated to vaccines, though the department's statement described the claim that he lied as "outright defamatory." The records show that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy during the visit led to a significant drop in vaccination rates in Samoa, which subsequently experienced a deadly measles outbreak. Critics argue that the health secretary's lack of truthfulness regarding his past advocacy may jeopardize the trust of the American public.

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