
RFK Jr. Calls Out Bernie Sanders For Taking Millions From Big Pharma
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a sharp rebuke to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during his confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, exposing the senator’s financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. The confrontation, which took place on Thursday, left Sanders visibly frustrated as Kennedy accused him of protecting the interests of the same industry he claims to oppose.
Kennedy wasted no time pointing out the hypocrisy, stating, “The problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies, it’s in Congress, too. Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry.” His comments drew cheers from the public gallery, which only seemed to further agitate Sanders.
Watch Bernie Sanders Squirm as RFK Jr. Calls Out His Big Pharma Money to His Face
SANDERS: “If we want to make America healthy, will you… guarantee health care to every single American?”
KENNEDY: “Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies. It’s in… pic.twitter.com/2Rv40MOoTc
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) January 30, 2025
According to OpenSecrets, Sanders has received significant financial backing from pharmaceutical and health product companies. He took in $439,256 from the industry during the 2015-16 election cycle and a staggering $1.4 million during the 2019-20 cycle. Despite his self-described fight against corporate greed, he has accepted more money from this sector than any other sitting senator.
RFK Jr has exposed the sad truth of the @TheDemocrats and how together with the Pharm business..the pockets of politicians have been lined..we can assume that both have integrated agendas..@DOJCrimDiv @FBI …do not sweep this outburst under the rug ..there is smoke here…Sanders… pic.twitter.com/VjPScMemQE
— Pissed Off Neanderthal🟦 🇺🇸 (@WooPig83) January 31, 2025
Sanders pushed back forcefully, shouting over Kennedy’s remarks and claiming that his campaign funding came from small-dollar donations. “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry,” he insisted.
However, Kennedy fired back with a direct fact-check. “In 2020, you were the single largest recipient of pharmaceutical dollars,” he said, highlighting the contradiction between Sanders’ rhetoric and his campaign’s financial support.
The clash between the two men comes as Sanders continues to advocate for government-run healthcare, a system that would put even more power in the hands of the very industry that has contributed heavily to his campaigns. Sanders has led hearings on lowering drug prices and has frequently criticized pharmaceutical companies, yet the financial ties Kennedy exposed raise questions about his true motivations.