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Into the Arena: Hostile Democrats, skeptical Republicans tear into Kennedy on the Hill

Into the Arena: Hostile Democrats, skeptical Republicans tear into Kennedy on the Hill

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself in the arena Thursday morning. Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building is not a conventional “arena.” It’s the hearing room for the Senate Finance Committee, but circumstances converted the room into such a venue.  Kennedy was due to appear before the Senate Finance panel long before August “happened,” but Kennedy’s “August” is what placed special focus on Kennedy’s appearance. RFK Jr. sacked newly-confirmed Centers for Disease Control Director Susan Monarez – four weeks after senators greenlit her nomination – and issued new, stringent, controversial eligibility guidelines for people to receive a COVID-19 booster this fall. TRUMP STANDS BY RFK JR. AFTER HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE’S DIFFERENT’ The forum was hostile. The hearing for Kennedy quickly devolved into a verbal judo match. He sparred with senators from both parties. They jousted over science and politics, but the heart of the conflict was internal turmoil at the CDC and vaccines. “Do you accept the fact that a million Americans died from COVID?” asked Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., of Kennedy. “I don’t know how many died,” answered Kennedy. Warner was apoplectic. “You’re the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You don’t have any idea how many Americans died from COVID?” asked an incredulous Warner. “I don’t think anybody knows because there was so much data chaos coming out of the CDC,” replied Kennedy. RFK JR AND TOP DEM CLASH DURING HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘THIS IS ABOUT KIDS’ This bewildered Warner. “The Secretary of Health and Human Services doesn’t know how many people died from COVID? Doesn’t know if the vaccine helped prevent any deaths. And you are the sitting Secretary of Health and Human Services,” continued Warner. “How can you be that ignorant?” That was only part of Democrats unloading on Kennedy. “You’re so wrong on your facts,” the Secretary charged when tangling with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The Washington Democrat wasn’t having it. “You’re interrupting me. And, sir, you’re a charlatan,” said Cantwell. “You’re the one who conflates chronic disease with the need for vaccines.” “You are putting America’s babies’ health at risk. America’s seniors’ health at risk. All Americans’ health at risk. And you should resign,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. At one point, RFK Jr. tussled with Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “You’re evading the question,” Kennedy yelled at the senator. RFK JR. INVOKES DEMOCRAT FATHER’S WORDS TO DEFEND TRUMP-BACKED CDC SHAKEUP AT SENATE HEARING Bennet wouldn’t allow the witness to flip the script. “I’m asking the questions here! I’m asking the questions!” thundered Bennet. “I’m asking the questions on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership.” But the secretary gave as good as he got. “You’re making things up to scare people and it’s a lie,” alleged Kennedy when facing questions from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. He went on to accuse Hassan of “crazy talk” and claimed she was “just making stuff up.” BERNIE SANDERS CALLS FOR RFK JR. TO RESIGN AS HHS SECRETARY OVER VACCINE POLICIES: ‘RALLY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ Kennedy’s new COVID jab guidelines roiled the hearing. He told Warren that “anyone can get the booster.” “So you’re saying that is now the official rule. Just anybody is eligible to get a booster by just walking into the pharmacy?” queried Warren. “It’s not recommended for healthy people,” Kennedy said. “No, no!” retorted Warren. “If you don’t recommend it, then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one.” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is an orthopedist, but even he was vexed by Kennedy’s vaccine vacillation. “In your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” said Barrasso. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is no stranger to calling out the Trump administration, warned Kennedy to tread carefully on vaccines. “We’re playing with fire here,” warned Tillis outside the hearing room. “If the death rates go up for children who aren’t vaccinated, they need to own it. Own it. Don’t say, ‘whoops, we got the science wrong.’” RFK JR DENIES TELLING FORMER CDC DIRECTOR TO APPROVE VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., is a gastroenterologist. He was skeptical of Kennedy’s qualifications for the job – before ultimately voting to confirm him. Cassidy seemed baffled by the secretary’s stance on vaccines. “Do you agree with me that the president deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed?” asked Cassidy about the Trump administration’s effort to fast-track a COVID-19 shot in 2020. “Yeah, absolutely, senator. It’s phenomenal,” Kennedy responded. “But you just told Sen. Bennet that the COVID vaccine killed more people than COVID?” said Cassidy. “Wait! I did not say that!” Kennedy fired back, but Cassidy wasn’t through. “It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed, when as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access,” said Cassidy. MORE THAN 1,000 HHS WORKERS DEMAND KENNEDY RESIGNATION OVER CDC DIRECTOR FIRING AND AGENCY CHANGES During the hearing, Kennedy claimed on multiple occasions that he canned Monarez as CDC chief because she didn’t tell the truth. “Are you telling us that the former head of CDC went to you and you asked, ‘are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, ‘no, I am not a trustworthy person,’” questioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.    “She didn’t say ‘no. I’m not a trustworthy person.’ She said ‘no,’” said Kennedy. “Wow!” exclaimed Sanders. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who is an OB-GYN, defended the firing – even though President Trump nominated Monarez and Marshall just supported her confirmation in July. “I voted for her. I made a mistake. I thought she could do the job. But unfortunately, she’s not part of the President’s mission of Secretary Kennedy turning the CDC upside down,” said Marshall. As we said, August “happened.” VP VANCE CURSES OUT SENATORS AFTER HEATED KENNEDY HEARING:

Justice Barrett defends Jackson jabs as ‘warranted’ in rare public appearance

Justice Barrett defends Jackson jabs as ‘warranted’ in rare public appearance

NEW YORK – Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke about her recent controversial opinion on universal injunctions on Thursday, saying her stern words for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in it were appropriate. When asked by the Free Press’ Bari Weiss about her surprisingly sharp comments on Jackson, Barrett said she felt she “set the calibration right” in the majority opinion, which she authored in June. “I thought Justice Jackson had made an argument in strong terms that I thought warranted a response,” Barrett said. Barrett, a Trump appointee, spoke for more than an hour on stage at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan to kick off a string of appearances she is set to make to promote her new book “Listening to the Law” while the Supreme Court is out of session. FEDERAL JUDGES ANONYMOUSLY CRITICIZE SUPREME COURT FOR OVERTURNING DECISIONS WITH EMERGENCY RULINGS “I personally tend not to be spicy for the sake of being spicy, but I am from New Orleans and everyone likes a little Tabasco sometimes,” Barrett said of her opinion on universal injunctions. Barrett’s remarks came in response to a question from Weiss about a high-profile emergency order in which the Supreme Court blocked lower courts from imposing the injunctions on the government. Such injunctions, which the court reviewed in Trump v. CASA, have become a point of contention with the administration as judges routinely block key policies of President Donald Trump, only for the Supreme Court to often reverse those orders on its emergency docket. APPEALS COURT BLOCK TRUMP FROM FIRING FTC COMMISSIONER IN CASE TESTING PRESIDENT’S REMOVAL POWERS Barrett, who authored the opinion banning universal injunctions, accused Jackson of subscribing to an “imperial judiciary” and instructed people not to “dwell” on her colleague’s dissent. Speaking on stage to the packed auditorium, Barrett said she has the “deepest respect for Jackson” and stressed that she was not attacking Jackson personally. “We just disagreed about the scope of judicial power,” Barrett said. “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people,” Barrett added, attributing the quote to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom she once clerked. Barrett, a closely watched justice who has raised eyebrows for deviating from her conservative colleagues’ opinions on occasion, was adamant that she and all of her colleagues were amicable. In a “lightning round” of questions, she was asked to describe each of the justices in one word. “Chief,” she quickly replied when asked about Justice John Roberts. Justice Neil Gorsuch got “out west,” and her word for Justice Brett Kavanaugh was “sports.” On Jackson, Barrett paused before landing on “actor, Broadway.” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Trump to speak at Museum of the Bible on religious liberty in education

Trump to speak at Museum of the Bible on religious liberty in education

President Donald Trump will deliver remarks Monday at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., during a high-profile hearing on religious liberty in education, a White House official confirmed to Fox News. The speech coincides with the second meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission, a panel Trump created earlier this year through an executive order as part of his new White House faith office.  The commission’s mission is to safeguard Americans’ ability to practice their religion freely, particularly in public education, and to identify what the administration calls “emerging threats” to First Amendment protections. TRUMP ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ACROSS FEDERAL WORKFORCE At Monday’s hearing, parents and students are expected to testify about their experiences of expressing their faith in public schools, with Attorney General Pam Bondi also scheduled to speak. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News: “The previous administration abused the federal government’s power to interfere with Americans’ First Amendment right to religious freedom. They even used the Department of Justice to target peaceful people of faith, specifically Christians.”  TRUMP GATHERS CEOS FOR UNPRECEDENTED FAITH, ECONOMY MEETING TO RENEW US ‘SPIRITUALLY AND FINANCIALLY’ “This is exactly why President Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission — to stop the emerging threats against Americans’ inalienable right to practice their religion freely. President Trump is the greatest defender for people of faith in modern history and will continue to protect and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom,” Rogers concluded. The event follows Trump’s second inaugural address earlier this year, when he framed his survival of the assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., as divine intervention, declaring, “I was saved by God to make America great again.” The renewed focus comes as courts and lawmakers continue to wrestle with religion in public schools. The Daily Wire first reported the White House’s plans for the hearing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The event is anticipated to spotlight President Trump’s continued effort to make religious freedom a defining issue of his presidency and re-election narrative, placing emphasis on faith in God as a cornerstone of American life.

Hegseth vows to rebuild military deterrence so enemies ‘don’t want to f— with us’

Hegseth vows to rebuild military deterrence so enemies ‘don’t want to f— with us’

COLUMBUS, Ga. — During a trip to Fort Benning on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the department is working on reestablishing deterrence “so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us.” The comments came after Hegseth spoke at an Officer Candidate School (OCS) graduation ceremony, where candidates were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army or ensigns in the Navy. Following the ceremony, he made remarks at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course luncheon, sharing stories about his children wanting Army Ranger shirts, and noting the proudest moment of his life would be saluting them if they earned it. TRUMP TO RENAME PENTAGON, RESTORING HISTORIC ‘DEPARTMENT OF WAR’ IN LATEST MILITARY MOVE Hegseth also touched on military priorities under the Trump administration, noting the Department of Defense’s focus is rebuilding the military to ensure it has the best possible equipment from the warfighter perspective, across all services.  “And then reestablishing deterrence, so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us,” Hegseth said. “Because they know they’ll get the business end of the best warrior on the planet. We’re reestablishing that. Whether it’s midnight hammer, or freedom of navigation or narco-traffickers that are poisoning the American people.” WHITE HOUSE ADVANCES PLAN FOR DEPARTMENT OF WAR AS TRUMP LOOKS TO RESTORE HISTORICAL MILITARY TITLE He said the world knows that when President Donald Trump speaks, he means business, adding that the graduates are the faces of that deterrence.  “It’s you that we remember and we think of when we make decisions,” Hegseth said. “It’s the job of policymakers and leaders in our positions to look down and say, ‘We’ve asked you to do tough things, we’re going to have your back when you do it. We’re going untie your hands and make sure you can unleash hell in Yemen.’ Absolute violence of action.  “We’re going to push decision-making authority down to you, the platoon level, the company level, the battalion unit level, as much as possible.” HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION During the trip, the secretary also teased that the Defense Department may have a new name on Friday, which Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton were first to confirm. Trump will sign an executive order allowing the department to use the Department of War as a secondary title, along with phrases like “secretary of war” for Hegseth. The order also directs Hegseth to propose legislative and executive actions to make the name change permanent. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Biden spotted with giant bandage on head after having surgery to treat skin cancer

Biden spotted with giant bandage on head after having surgery to treat skin cancer

Former President Joe Biden recently had surgery to treat skin cancer, a revelation that comes after worrying photos and video surfaced showing the 82-year-old with what appeared to be a giant gash on his head. Biden’s spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that he had Mohs surgery to treat skin cancer. It’s unclear what type of skin cancer he had. Video featured on Inside Edition Thursday showed Biden leaving a church in Rehoboth Beach over Labor Day weekend with the wound on his head. Biden also appeared frail in the video as he greeted people outside the service Sunday. JEN PSAKI INSISTS SHE ‘NEVER SAW’ DIMINISHED BIDEN WHILE WORKING AS PRESS SECRETARY  The sighting came a day after Biden was seen in the evening at a local ice cream shop in a baseball cap that seemed to cover the wound. In late August, Biden was spotted with a giant bandage covering the wound as he attended the funeral of former Delaware Gov. and U.S. Rep. Mike Castle at St. Joseph at the Brandywine Church in Greenville. CREDIBILITY CRISIS: MEDIA SCRUTINIZED TRUMP’S HEALTH, FITNESS IN FIRST TERM BEFORE TURNING BLIND EYE ON BIDEN Mohs surgery is an operation that takes off thin layers of cancerous tissue and examines them until it’s certain that no abnormal cells remain.  In 2023, Jill Biden, the former first lady, underwent the same procedure to remove multiple lesions, including one over her right eye. The latest development adds to Biden’s health struggles. In May, it was revealed he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.  “Cancer touches us all,” former President Biden wrote on social media at the time. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Doctors classified his cancer as highly aggressive, assigning it a Gleason score of 9 and a Grade Group of 5, the most severe rating. In 2023, doctors also removed a basal cell carcinoma from his chest. That same year, he was declared cancer-free after treatment but has since been undergoing ongoing care.