Staff Reports
In a display of political theatrics best described as an overzealous pep rally for the pharmaceutical industry, Senator Bernie Sanders decided to chew the insulation off the walls during a recent questioning of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s choice for Health and Human Services Secretary. Instead of discussing serious health policies, Sanders zeroed in on an issue that, in any rational world, would be beneath the political fray: baby clothing. Yes, you read that correctly. Baby clothing.
Kennedy, who has spent years advocating for parental rights regarding vaccine choice through his organization, Children’s Health Defense, found himself neck-deep in Sanders’ toddler-sized tantrum over a couple of cheeky onesies. These baby outfits sport slogans like “Unvaxxed Unafraid” and “No Vax. No Problem.” As if selling clothing designed to provoke thought among parents was a crime against humanity, Sanders demanded Kennedy disavow these products as if they were some sort of offensive paraphernalia. Apparently, in Sanders’ world, critics of vaccines must not only be silenced but must also actively suppress any display of dissent—even if it’s cheerful baby apparel.
Sanders’ performance reached peak melodrama when he pointed out the price of these onesies—$26—and declared its existence cast “fundamental doubt” on vaccines. One has to wonder, as he insists these baby clothes undermine public health, what kind of harm he thinks is being done to infants wearing attire that merely represents a parent’s right to question the medical establishment. Maybe Sanders believes those little humans are reading the slogans and plotting a rebellion against their pediatricians. The sheer absurdity here would be laughable if it weren’t a serious Senate hearing.
'Are You Supportive of These Onesies?': Bernie Sanders Demands RFK Jr. Condemn Baby Outfit https://t.co/nk3dohCXxE
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) January 29, 2025
As Kennedy attempted to clarify that he had stepped back from the organization and had no control over the products being sold, Sanders, ever the relentless interrogator, continued to hammer him about his supposed responsibility as a founder. Kennedy’s repeated affirmations of his support for vaccines did little to quell Sanders’ determination to portray him as the ringleader of an anti-vaccine circus. Somehow, in Sanders’ mind, founding an organization that encourages parental inquiry about vaccines equates to endorsing rebellious onesies designed for infants. Talk about a stretch.
The best part of this political sideshow came when Kennedy, amid Sanders’ relentless questioning, managed a chuckle at the absurdity of it all. While Sanders desperately tried to ignite a firestorm over innocent baby clothing, Kennedy maintained a posture of rationality and sanity. Perhaps it’s time Sanders stopped worrying about what babies are wearing and focused instead on the actual medical policies affecting millions of Americans, instead of obsessing over baby merch that gives parents the giggles. It seems the Senator might be better off attending a knitting class rather than trying to turn onesies into political grenades.
