Missouri AG backs up Trump’s birthright citizenship order, argues 14th Amendment has been ‘perverted’
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey defended President Donald Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship on Wednesday, arguing that the 14th Amendment clause that the policy is based on has been “perverted.” Bailey told Fox News Digital in an interview that the 14th Amendment “was never intended to be perverted into some kind of bad incentive to violate our national immigration laws.” He went on to note the multiple attempts by President Biden’s administration to bend or break appropriations laws, saying he fought each and every one. Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship has already faced numerous legal challenges. “Look, the 14th Amendment was drafted and ratified after the Civil War to fix the problem that an activist Supreme Court inflicted on the United States of America in the form of the Dred Scott decision,” Bailey said. “Again, the 14th Amendment was intended to protect Americans like Dred Scott.” The 14th Amendment, which was ratified after the Civil War to acknowledge citizenship for former slaves and their descendants, was not used to confer birthright citizenship to illegal aliens until more than 100 years after it was adopted by Congress, according to legal expert Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation. TRUMP ADMIN HITS BACK AS ACLU LAUNCHES LAWSUIT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘READY TO FACE THEM’ Bailey went on to defend another of Trump’s controversial orders, this one pausing the flow of federal appropriations funding. Trump signed the order this week to ensure that federal agencies were in line with the new administration’s policies before distributing funding. “The president has the authority to determine the appropriation laws that are passed that appropriate funds toward items in the federal budget, but it’s up to the president to then carry into effect that appropriations law,” Bailey said. TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW “I would ask our friends on the left, where were they when President Biden refused to build the border wall for which Congress had appropriated funds and commanded erection of new border barrier systems, period? We had to sue the Biden administration,” Bailey said, noting that Missouri led the ultimately successful effort against the previous administration. “They want to call it a constitutional crisis, but they’re silent on issues like that. They’re also silent on issues like when President Biden attempts to appropriate funds by himself without congressional authority. How many times did he try to take taxpayer money to try to pay off student loan debt?” Bailey added. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS Meanwhile, Trump’s opponents have lined up lawsuits in an effort to block executive orders across the board. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued over the birthright citizenship order last week, arguing it was unconstitutional. Twenty-two Democrat-led states joined the ACLU in its effort. Trump’s opponents argue that of those born on U.S. soil, the text of the law precludes only the children of foreign diplomats from becoming U.S. citizens.
Sen. Kaine claims Trump will ‘stiff’ federal employees who take buyout offer: ‘Do not be fooled’
Sen. Tim Kaine is claiming that President Donald Trump is going to “stiff” federal employees who accept buyout offers instead of returning to the office, telling workers “Do not be fooled by this guy.” The Trump administration is offering buyouts for nearly all federal employees, including those who work remotely, as part of the president’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in. However, Kaine argued on the Senate floor Tuesday night that Trump has no such grounds to make that kind of deal. “The federal employees received an interesting email at the end of the day today…. that said, from the administration, if you tender your resignation by next Friday, we will guarantee you payment through the end of September whether or not you show up for work. So tender your resignation and then boy, it’s just going to be a gravy train, you are just going to get paid for seven months without working,” Kaine said. “The president has no authority to make that offer. There’s no budget line item to pay people who are not showing up for work. This is a guy who made this promise to contractors again and again and again when he was a private business guy. ‘Oh, come work for me on my casino.’ ‘Come work for me in a hotel.’ ‘We’re going to do a handshake. We’re going to do a contract.’ The contractor does the work and then finds out they get stiffed,” Kaine continued. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFERS BUYOUTS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING REMOTE WORKERS “So my message to federal employees who receive this is, yeah, the president has tried to terrorize you for about a week and then gives you a little sweetheart offer: ‘If you resign in the next week, we’re just going to pay you for doing nothing for the next seven months.’ Don’t be fooled. He’s tricked hundreds of people with that offer. If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed the contractors. He doesn’t have any authority to do this. Do not be fooled by this guy,” the Virginia Democrat also said. When asked to respond Wednesday, the White House referred Fox News Digital to a statement by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in which she said “After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again. “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers,” Leavitt added Tuesday. TRUMP FIRES TWO DEMOCRATIC COMMISSIONERS ON CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS WHITE HOUSE TARGETS DEI This morning, a reporter asked Leavitt if the buyouts are a way to purge the government of people who disagree with Trump. “That’s absolutely false. This is a suggestion to federal workers that they have to return to work. And if they don’t, then they have the option to resign. And this administration is very generously offering to pay them for eight months,” she said. “Six percent of the federal workforce in this city actually shows up to work. That’s unacceptable. We’re all here at work at the office. There are law enforcement officers and teachers and nurses across the country who showed up to the office today. People in this city need to do the same,” Leavitt also said. “It’s an overwhelmingly popular policy with people outside of Washington D.C. The president campaigned on this and his administration is keeping a promise.” Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Smelt test: Trump order overrides California’s fish-protecting rules to maximize water supply
President Donald Trump is taking executive action to override California’s “actively harmful” state and local environmental policies in an effort to maximize water supply in the aftermath of January’s deadly wildfires. In an executive order issued Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to overrule California regulations on endangered species to create more water availability, expedite the removal of debris in the areas affected by the fires, and conduct investigations into the city of Los Angeles’ use of federal grants. The president’s order overrides environmental regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state’s residents amid the wildfires. Trump also called on the Interior Department to immediately override existing regulations in California that “unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries” to the Central Valley Project (CVP), a water management effort in the state. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND The order calls on several federal agencies to conduct reviews of environmental programs in the state. The director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will also conduct a review of all federal programs, projects and activities relating to land management, water availability, water supply, water storage, water infrastructure, and disaster preparedness and response, according to the executive order. NEWSOM THANKS TRUMP FOR COMING TO CALIFORNIA TO TOUR FIRE DAMAGE IN TARMAC FACE-OFF Additionally, Trump called on Cabinet secretaries to “expeditiously take all measures, consistent with all applicable authorities, to ensure adequate water resources in Southern California,” and issue a report within 15 days on all resources and authorities available to “fight and prevent” wildfires in the area. Specifically, the Interior and Commerce departments will designate an official to investigate any “regulatory hurdles” under current environmental protection laws “that unduly burden each respective water project,” and propose a plan to suspend or revise any regulations. Trump also asked the attorney general to launch an investigation into Los Angeles’ “misuse” of federal preparedness grants. “These Federal preparedness grants shall not be used to support illegal aliens,” the executive order reads. The city was recently criticized for cutting the fire department budget by $17 million while hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to fund programs such as a “Gay Men’s Chorus” and housing for the transgender homeless. The White House suggested that the order would “deliver more water and produce additional hydropower, including by increasing storage and conveyance, and jointly operating federal and state facilities, to high-need communities, notwithstanding any contrary state or local laws.” Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited the areas devastated by the Los Angeles fires on Friday, pledging federal assistance to the victims during a roundtable with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other state officials. “I don’t think you can realize how rough, how devastating it is until you see it,” Trump said of the wildfire damage. “The federal government is standing behind you, 100%.” Fox News’ Alex Schemmel contributed to this report.
‘What a jacka–‘: Conservatives hammer Dem senator’s ‘droning monologue’ during RFK Jr hearing
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., was blasted by conservatives on social media on Wednesday over his contentious line of questioning toward President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse told Kennedy while seemingly linking Kennedy’s skepticism of some vaccines to the first case of measles in Rhode Island since 2013. “Americans are going to need to hear a clear and trustworthy recantation of what you have said on vaccinations, including a promise from you never to say vaccines aren’t medically safe when they, in fact, are, and making indisputably clear that you support mandatory vaccinations against diseases where that will keep people safe,” Whitehouse said. “You’re in that hole pretty deep.” Whitehouse, who attended law school with Kennedy where the two were friends, used the majority of his time to list concerns about Kennedy, allowing the HHS hopeful a small window at the end to address the line of questioning. ‘MASTERCLASS’: BONDI FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM SENATOR AFTER SUGGESTING SHE WILL WEAPONIZE DOJ Whitehouse’s comments quickly drew criticism from conservatives on social media. “Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI) beginning his confirmation ‘questioning’ of RFK Jr. by saying ‘I’m very experienced, so you’re just going to have to listen,’ then talking for 7 minutes nonstop is such a perfect picture of why Democrats are failing around the nation right now,” Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett posted on X. “You know what would be good?” columnist John Podhortez posted on X. “Sheldon Whitehouse going away forever to an island. And not Rhode Island, which isn’t an island. More like St. Helena.” NOBEL LAUREATE LETTER OPPOSING RFK JR CONFIRMATION LOADED WITH DEM DONORS, OFFICIALS: ‘THINLY VEILED ATTEMPT’ “Whitehouse delivers a droning monologue then tells RFK he’s out of time, can respond in writing,” National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin posted on X. “What a jacka–,” Twitchy.com editor Samantha Janney posted on X. “RFK Jr. should ask Sheldon about his membership at multiple whites-only clubs.” Fox News Digital reached out to Whitehouse’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Opposition to Kennedy’s nomination has been fierce, with advocacy groups running ad campaigns urging senators to vote against his confirmation mainly due to his past skepticism of some vaccines. “I want to make sure the Committee is clear about a few things. News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety,” Kennedy said in his opening statement in front of the Senate Finance Committee.
Justice Department moves to drop prosecution of Mar-a-Lago staff in Trump classified docs case
The Justice Department filed a motion Wednesday to drop all criminal proceedings against two former Trump co-defendants charged in the special counsel’s classified documents case, putting a final end to the probe more than two years after it began. The request for the charges to be dropped was filed Wednesday by the acting U.S. attorney in Miami, Hayden O’Byrne, without explanation. The co-defendants, Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago property manager, and Walt Nauta, a valet at the property, were charged alongside President Donald Trump in the classified documents case led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDS TRUMP’S FIRING OF INSPECTORS GENERAL Smith was tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as his keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence after leaving the White House. Both investigations were halted shortly after Trump won election for the second time in 2024, in keeping with long-standing Justice Department policy against investigating a sitting president. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LOOKING TO WIND DOWN TRUMP CRIMINAL CASES AHEAD OF INAUGURATION But the charges against Nauta and De Oliveira still stood. Attorneys for two of Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case filed an emergency motion to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report’s publication earlier this year, alleging that their civilian clients would “irreparably suffer harm” as a result of its release. Both had been charged with conspiring with Trump to obstruct an investigation, and making false statements to the FBI.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and political allies launch public affairs firm
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has joined forces with five other figures to found Watchtower Strategy, a public affairs organization. The other people involved include Jeff Miller, Dan Conston, Arthur Schwartz, Cliff Sims and Brian Walsh. “Watchtower Strategy is a premier public affairs firm founded by six leaders at the pinnacle of American politics. Watchtower specializes in strategy, advocacy, and crisis communications,” the organization’s website declares. TRUMP ACCUSES FORMER SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY OF ‘ONE OF THE DUMBEST POLITICAL DECISIONS MADE IN YEARS’ A press release indicates that the group “will provide strategic advisory services for CEOs and senior executives, helping them navigate high stakes issues at the intersection of business, government, and public relations. The firm also specializes in developing and executing issue advocacy campaigns, with a proven track record of shaping public debates and influencing key policy outcomes.” Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to McCarthy for comment on Wednesday but did not receive a response in time for publication. “The launch of Watchtower Strategy comes at a pivotal and promising moment for our country,” McCarrthy said, according to the press release. “Navigating this moment can be both an opportunity and a challenge. The Watchtower team is trusted, tested, and built for success.” KEVIN MCCARTHY CLASHES WITH NBC HOSTS OVER BIDEN FAMILY PARDONS: HE ‘MUST KNOW SOMETHING’ THAT OTHERS DON’T McCarthy, Watchtower Strategy’s chairman, is also a member of the C3 AI advisory board, and he is on the Anivive Lifesciences board of directors. C3 AI’s website says the organization “is a leading Enterprise AI software provider for accelerating digital transformation.” Anivive has described itself as a “pet pharmaceutical company.” McCarthy obtained the speaker’s gavel in 2023 after a whopping 15 rounds of balloting. He was later ousted from the speakership, and eventually resigned from Congress before the end of his term. KEVIN MCCARTHY SHARES WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE ‘THE GREATEST THREAT TO US’ McCarthy attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony last week.
Scorched-earth Shanahan: RFK Jr.’s former running mate threatens political war against confirmation opponents
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s former presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan called out various senators by name, warning that she will fund primary challenges against them if they oppose confirming RFK Jr. to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services. “Dear U.S. Senators, Bobby may play nice; I won’t,” she wrote in a post on X. In a video, Shanahan said that in 2020 she “cut large checks to Chuck Schumer to help Democrats flip two Senate seats in Georgia from red to blue.” Peach State Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff both initially took office after winning runoff contests in early 2021. Shanahan bluntly warned the two senators, “please know I will be watching your votes very closely. I will make it my personal mission that you lose your seats in the Senate if you vote against the future health of America’s children.” TRUMP NOMINEES RFK JR, LOEFFLER, LUTNICK FACE SENATE GRILLING TODAY; BONDI COMMITTEE VOTE EXPECTED She then proceeded to call out Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Bill Cassidy, R-La., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., James Lankford, R-Okl., Cory Booker, D-N.Y., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. “While Bobby may be willing to play nice, I won’t. If you vote against him, I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election. And I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me,” she declared. Shanahan, who urged people to reach out to their senators to press them to support RFK Jr.’s nomination, followed up her video with a post tagging each of the 13 senators she had mentioned — the post also included phone numbers. WHO IS NICOLE SHANAHAN? MEET THE WEALTHY ENTREPRENEUR RFK JR SELECTED AS HIS VP RUNNING MATE Kennedy, a Democrat-turned-independent presidential candidate, ultimately dropped out and backed then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 White House contest. Trump later announced Kennedy as his pick to serve as HHS secretary. But the HHS nominee still needs to earn enough support in the Senate to clear the confirmation hurdle. DOCTOR DEFENDS RFK JR.’S VACCINE STANCE: ‘HE’S NOT AGAINST VACCINES’ Shanahan voted for Trump during the 2024 presidential election.
RFK Jr rips Dem senator for pushing ‘dishonest’ narrative on past vaccine comments: ‘Corrected it many times’
HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden were involved in a tense exchange on Capitol Hill where Kennedy accused the senator of intentionally misrepresenting his past comments. Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee which held a confirmation hearing for Kennedy on Wednesday, pressed the nominee on comments made on podcasts in recent years. “During a podcast interview in July of 2023, you said, quote, no vaccine is safe and effective, in your testimony today in order to prove you’re not anti-vax, you note that all your kids are vaccinated, but in a podcast in 2020, you said, and I quote, you would do anything pay anything to go back in time and not vaccinate your kids,” Wyden said to Kennedy. “Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true. So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine or did you lie on all those podcasts? We have all of this on tape, by the way.” MULTIPLE OUTBURSTS ERUPT AT RFK JR. HEARING: ‘YOU ARE!’ Kennedy took issue with Wyden’s comments and pointed out that the comment about “no vaccine” being safe and effective was said before he was cut off in the interview, with podcaster Lex Fridman, before he could finish. “Yeah, Senator, as you know, because it’s been repeatedly debunked, that the statements that I made on the Lex Fridman podcast was a fragment of the statement,” Kennedy responded. “He asked me, and anybody who actually goes and looks at that podcast and will see that he asked me, are there vaccines that are safe and effective? And I said to him, some of the live virus vaccines. And I said, there are no vaccines that are safe and effective and I was going to continue for, every person. Every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines.” RFK JR. LIKELY TO BE CONFIRMED AS HEALTH SECRETARY, DR. SIEGEL SAYS Kennedy continued, “He interrupted me at that point. I’ve corrected it many times, including on national TV. You know about this, Sen. Wyden, so bringing this up right now is dishonest.” A transcript from the interview with Fridman shows Kennedy saying, “I think some of the live virus vaccines are probably averting more problems than they’re causing. There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective. In fact.” Kennedy is then cut off and the conversation goes elsewhere. Kennedy has corrected the record on subsequent shows, including in an interview with HBO’s Bill Maher, where he explained he was interrupted and assured the public, “I would never say that.” Fox News Digital reached out to Wyden’s office but did not immediately receive a response. Opposition to Kennedy’s nomination has been fierce, with advocacy groups running ad campaigns urging senators to vote against his confirmation. “I want to make sure the Committee is clear about a few things. News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety,” Kennedy said in his opening statement in front of the Senate Finance Committee. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Former Trump Cabinet members launch group to promote president’s energy agenda
FIRST ON FOX: Two former Trump administration Cabinet secretaries are launching a nationwide coalition to back the president’s “energy dominance” agenda, which aims to boost oil and gas production and scale back climate change policies. Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt are launching the Restoring Energy Dominance Coalition on Wednesday, which will rally conservatives behind President Donald Trump‘s broad energy approach, a central theme of his 2024 campaign. According to the nonprofit’s website, the organization is made up of “a group of concerned citizens and policy experts who understand that American energy production — of all kinds — is essential for unleashing domestic energy dominance.” EXPERTS SAY FIRST WEEK OF ‘TRUMP EFFECT’ IS DERAILING GLOBAL CLIMATE MOVEMENT’S ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’ Brouillette said the coalition will ensure Trump garners the support he needs for his all-of-the-above energy agenda, which is “essential to lowering costs, creating good-paying jobs, and bolstering America’s national security.” All of the above energy involves a mix of energy sources, like fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable energy, to promote energy independence. “The first step to improving our economy and lowering the cost of living for American families is to restore our energy dominance,” Bernhadt said in a statement. “President Trump is spot on about needing all forms of energy to meet our current challenges and America’s new golden age will only be possible if we make the president’s energy platform from his 2024 campaign a reality.” Following Trump’s campaign promise to “drill, baby drill,” Trump issued an executive order on Inauguration Day declaring a national energy emergency, invoking the National Emergencies Act, to bolster domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources. The Trump White House argues it will lower energy costs. ENERGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN AFTER CANADIAN PREMIER SAYS SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS KEYSTONE PIPELINE 2.0 WITH TRUMP The order directs federal agencies to “expedite the leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining, and generation of domestic energy resources,” including on federal lands. “The policies of the previous administration have driven our Nation into a national emergency, where a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid, require swift and decisive action,” the executive order reads. “Without immediate remedy, this situation will dramatically deteriorate in the near future due to a high demand for energy and natural resources to power the next generation of technology.” TRUMP ELIMINATING LNG PAUSE TO HAVE ‘QUICKEST EFFECT’ ON ENERGY INDUSTRY: RICK PERRY Trump also issued a sweeping executive order rolling back environmental regulations – which sought to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035 – that the Biden administration created in December. The order reverses several climate-focused policies and prioritizes fossil fuel expansion, mineral extraction and deregulation. The directive calls for increased oil, gas and coal production on federal lands and waters, while revoking multiple executive orders that supported renewable energy initiatives. It also eliminates the federal electric vehicle (EV) mandate, removes subsidies favoring EVs, and prevents states from imposing stricter emissions standards. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
RFK Jr. vows he won’t take cheeseburgers away, just highlight health issues: ‘My boss loves’ them
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday that his objective to making “America Healthy Again” will not include taking food such as cheeseburgers or Twinkies off of the shelves – quipping his boss has a soft spot for fast food. “Most importantly, we need to use, deploy, NIH and FDA to doing the research to understand the relationship between these different food additives and chronic diseases so that Americans understand it,” Kennedy explained before the committee on Wednesday. “But I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like a cheeseburger, a McDonald’s cheeseburger, or a Diet Coke, which my boss loves, you should be able to get them,” he said, which sparked laughter from the audience. “If you want a Hostess Twinkies, you should be able to do that. But you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health,” he explained. TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’ Trump has long been a well-known fan of Diet Coke and McDonald’s fast food, including re-installing a Diet Coke button on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office to swiftly deliver him the soft drink, and campaigned at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s ahead of the Nov. 5 election. WOMAN SERVED BY TRUMP AT MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU REVEALS DETAILS BEHIND VIRAL EXCHANGE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT Kennedy’s hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee is just the first, with the nominee scheduled to again join lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday to appear before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Kennedy has been at the forefront of “MAHA,” or Make America Health Again, movement within Trump’s orbit. Kennedy’s hearing was expected to be fiery, as the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy has come under fire for his critical stance on vaccines and food additives. Kennedy said in his hearing that he is not “anti-vaccine.” TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’ “I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that… that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I’ve read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security,” he said on Wednesday. ‘VINDICTIVE’: DEMOCRAT IN TIGHT SENATE RACE BLASTED BY GOP RIVAL FOR SWIPE AT MCDONALD’S AFTER TRUMP VISIT “In my advocacy, I’ve often disturbed this status quo. I am asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I’m not going to apologize for that. We have massive health problems in this country that we must face,” he added.