CNN’s Kasie Hunt wasn’t having it with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim that he never made remarks about vaccines that he indeed made earlier this year.
Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist known for his anti-vaccine views, spoke to the anchor Friday after a poll showed 21% of registered voters would either “definitely” or “probably” vote for him in the 2024 presidential election if President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are their respective parties’ nominees.
Hunt noted that Kennedy has gained notoriety for his vaccine skepticism before she read his own recent statements on the issue.
“Over the summer, in an interview, you said, ‘There’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective.’ Do you still believe that?” Hunt asked.
“I never said that, ” Kennedy replied.
“We have the clip. Please play the clip,” Hunt pushed back.
“Play the whole clip,” Kennedy chimed in.
CNN proceeded to show footage from Kennedy’s appearance on a podcast where he said that “there’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective” when asked to name vaccines that he thinks “are good.”
Hunt, who reminded the candidate that he “did say it,” asked him again if he still holds that view.
“Here’s what I would say: First of all, I’m not anti-vaccine,” Kennedy proceeded to claim.
“How is that statement not anti-vaccine?” Hunt asked.
You can check out more from Hunt’s interview with Kennedy below.