Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear sent a letter to President Donald Trump Thursday asking that he remove Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Kentucky reaches 211 confirmed cases of measles.
“Under RFK Jr., our nation has experienced a series of dangerous and preventable foodborne illnesses. There have been spikes in infectious diseases,” Beshear said. “We're losing people to measles, something that had been eradicated from the United States with one of the most effective and most tested and used vaccines in human history.”
No one has died from measles this year in Kentucky, but 14 have been hospitalized. All but two of the confirmed cases are unvaccinated or have an unconfirmed vaccination status. The cases are concentrated in a cluster of western Kentucky counties, in southcentral Laurel County, and in northeastern Bath County.
The United States could lose its measles elimination status 26 years after it was declared eradicated in the country — a new data analysis found it may once again be endemic. The Centers for Disease Control reports more than 5,100 cases across the country, most of which are associated with 43 new outbreaks. It’s the highest number of cases since 1991. Cases have risen across the country alongside the rise in vaccine misinformation and hesitancy.
Beshear also noted the multi-state cyclospora outbreak, which infected more than 20,000 people in the U.S. from May through August this year. During the same period last year, about 1,200 were reported to have been infected with the parasite that causes gastrointestinal distress and explosive bowel movements, according to the CDC.
Kentucky Public Radio reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
As he called out RFK Jr., Beshear also criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The U.S. House of Representatives effectively killed the effort to impeach Hegseth this week in a party-line vote — with the exception of Republican Congressman Thomas Massie who first filed the impeachment petition.
“It was brought by a Republican, yet every other congressional Republican ended up defending the war in Iran, the current secretary of defense and the president, and they had just lost by a historical margin because of it,” Beshear said. “I'd hope that maybe losing a job would help them grow a spine, but apparently we're not seeing that.”
Beshear said he would also support impeaching Kennedy if Trump chooses not to remove him. The governor cited several media reports about the former environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist as he said the president should “just choose someone qualified.”
“Choose someone who will give actual medical advice about vaccines. Choose somebody that won't spread conspiracies,” Beshear said. “How about this? Choose somebody that doesn't have a worm in their brain. Choose somebody that didn't put a dead bear in the back of their car and drive into New York City. Choose somebody that didn't put a whale head on top of his car and drive somewhere else. Choose somebody that didn't swim in a polluted creek with one of their grandchildren. Choose somebody that didn't snort cocaine off a dirty toilet at one part in their life. Just choose somebody better than this clown.”
