Kennedy says he is not at all against vaccines – something that is contradicted by both Democratic senators, who mention earlier statements in podcasts and books, and by protesters on the spot.
At one point, a protester shouted "he lies" when Kennedy spoke. The protester was immediately led out by security personnel on the spot, something that was repeated a few minutes later when another protester spoke out.
It also emerges from the interrogation that Trump has asked Kennedy for a new investigation of the medical abortion drug mifepristone.
He (President Trump) has not yet taken a position on how it should be regulated. Whatever he decides, I will implement, Kennedy says about the drug.
More than half of all abortions in the US are performed with mifepristone. The availability of the drug has previously been a question for the US Supreme Court, which however decided last summer to let the drug continue to be used.
Provided that all Democrats vote against Kennedy's nomination, it will take three critical Republican votes for Trump to have to find a new candidate for the post of health minister.
ABC News writes that decisive votes could come from Republicans Mitch McConnell, who himself has been sick with polio, and Bill Cassidy, who has said that Kennedy is wrong about vaccination.
