The Democratic Party has continued its generally apathetic approach from mid-November into the first two weeks of the Donald Trump administration. They have mainly punted on combating his executive orders with the exception of his attempted abrogation of birthright citizenship. They have mustered only tepid outrage at his firing of inspector generals and purge of the federal government. In general, they are continuing what appears to be a wait-and-see approach, hoping that the potential collapse of AI companies and rise in egg prices will put a dent in the new president’s approval ratings.
One area that Democrats cannot afford to be lethargic on is the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to become Secretary of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr.’s position is particularly harmful to American society. He has the potential to turn back decades of progress on vaccines and health research. His failures could lead to thousands of preventable deaths. For these reasons, stopping his nomination has more immediately tangible benefits than avoiding the more nebulous risks and detriments posed by Kash Patel at the FBI or Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
The Hegseth strategy didn’t work
Democrats thought they could appeal to shame and personal animosity to sink the nomination of Pete Hegseth to become Secretary of Defense. This approach failed, of course. Republicans did not see the nationwide backlash that should have accompanied Hegseth’s rise. They were satisfied with the well-coached answers he gave at various hearings. They also believed they could take advantage of Democratic apathy, since the opposing party had done little to shape public opinion or warn the American people about Hegseth. While it did take a late-night session and the tie-breaking vote of the Vice President, there was little doubt that Hegseth would get through.
This approach will fail once again with RFK Jr. if Democrats try it. Republicans do not care about Kennedy’s pro-choice stance or his historical affiliations with Democrats. They will not be swayed by the many gotcha moments that will likely emerge from hearings in Congress. Instead, Democrats need to fixate on Kennedy’s most dangerous beliefs and hammer them home at every possible opportunity. They should not even mention Big Pharma or the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. They need to connect RFK Jr. with anti-vaccine stances and wild conspiracy theories in a way that fully cements his public image as a dangerous crank. Making this message clear on the public airwaves every day of his nomination may help push some Republican senators whose children have benefitted from vaccines away from the controversial nominee. One certain target would be Mitch McConnell, whose childhood bout of polio is well-known.
Democrats have an uphill battle fighting each and every one of Trump’s cabinet nominees. But many of these nominees are inherently the same. It is difficult to argue that one is craven, corrupt, or unqualified without painting all of the others the same way. Democrats need to single one out as inherently different, a figure who is both uniquely unqualified and vulnerable in ways that Republican governors or Fox News staples are not. RFK Jr. fits that bill. Democrats need to decide on a strategy against him before it is too late.