On Thursday, Sen. Bill Cassidy told a CNBC host that he does not regret voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services. He argued that no one could have reasonably predicted Kennedy would use the position to target vaccines.
“If you want to tell me that somebody didn’t tell me the truth, and I should’ve seen in the future they were not going to tell the truth, you can say, ‘Bill, you should’ve seen into the future,’” Cassidy said.
Nobody Needed a Crystal Ball
The issue with Cassidy’s claim is that Kennedy spent about twenty years openly stating what he planned to do. Cassidy even acknowledged this during the confirmation process. He publicly warned about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views, got some promises, and still voted yes.
This contradiction sparked a strong reaction on social media Thursday. Media Matters researcher Matt Gertz pointed out the irony of not expecting someone who spent years spreading vaccine misinformation to limit access and research once in charge. He joked that maybe the Senate Republican caucus needs a wallet inspector.
Journalist Philip Bump summed up the excuse by comparing it to Cassidy asking how he could have known King Midas would turn things into gold. Eric Michael Garcia from The Independent was more direct, saying everyone knew what Kennedy would do, and anyone who followed his public statements over the past twenty years knew it too.
Novelist Scott Stein turned the senator’s words around, suggesting instead of needing to see the future, Cassidy should have used good judgment and paid attention to what was happening around him.
What Kennedy Has Actually Done
The reason this is landing now is that the damage is no longer theoretical.
In January, federal health officials led by Kennedy announced a major change, reducing the recommended immunization schedule from 17 diseases to 11. They justified this by referencing Denmark, a country of about six million people with universal health care. The American Academy of Pediatrics sued, and a federal judge stopped the change.
The administration made another attempt. On August 10, Trump signed an executive order for what the White House calls “Gold Standard” vaccine recommendations, bringing back the same reduction that courts had already blocked. The order also requires splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella shot into three separate injections, which goes against scientific consensus, and tells the Justice Department to pressure states about school vaccine requirements.
During the signing, Trump claimed patients were being injected with vats of vaccine. In reality, each dose is only about a tenth of a teaspoon.
The Assurances Were Worth Nothing
Cassidy’s yes vote in February 2025 was not a casual decision. He said he had secured promises: the federal vaccine approval process would stay the same, information debunking the vaccine-autism link would remain on federal health websites, and he would get advance notice of changes and regular meetings with the secretary.
Kennedy later removed all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, changed the recommendation process, and oversaw the schedule cuts now being challenged in court. Since then, Cassidy has criticized the health department but has avoided blaming Kennedy directly, a strategy that has pleased no one.
He Already Lost Anyway
The final irony is that Cassidy’s political strategy did not work out as he hoped.
Cassidy lost the Republican primary in Louisiana on May 16, coming in behind Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, who moved on to a runoff. Trump endorsed Letlow in January, and the MAHA movement spent months trying to unseat Cassidy. His background as a physician who supported vaccines ended up hurting him within his own party.
He cast his vote hoping to keep his political career, but it did not work. Now, he only has a few months left as chair of the Senate health committee and an excuse that no one could have predicted what would happen.
Everyone knew. Cassidy knew. He said it publicly, and then he still voted yes.
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