As a recent graduate with a degree in molecular biology at CU Boulder, it is evident to me that RFK Jr. is an unscientific quack. He insists that doctors are poisoning their patients with ADHD medication and vaccines, citing made-up statistics and baseless ideas about nutrition and immunology. So why do some Americans (including Colorado’s own Gov. Jared Polis) support him?
It is tempting to shore RFK Jr’s popularity up to a lack of education in America. After all, the fact that our population is glaringly undereducated compared to other first-world countries is a frequent critique of academics. Of course, a lack of familiarity with science and medicine makes it more difficult to fact-check scientific statements that are rife with jargon and statistics.
In writing this piece, I sought out the opinions of Colorado School of Public Health graduates, asking why they thought people support RFK Jr. Dr. Franklyn Garry, a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University, said, “Most Americans under 60 years old have learned to take a lot of things for granted. So they become susceptible to messaging from social media. Add to that a growing mistrust of authorities in any field and the government in general … and then you will like hearing what RFK has to say.”
However, there is much more at play. For many Americans, distrust of the healthcare system arises from their interactions with it. Mandated 15-minute visits and fragmented care have resulted in a slew of terrible medical experiences. Who can blame people for mistrusting doctors who’ve wronged them?
Medicine has been especially cruel to minority groups. Historical injustices, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments, as well as documented modern bias, make it understandably difficult for many at-risk people to trust doctors.
Even today, doctors routinely dismiss women and invalidate their symptoms. Clinical studies have long excluded women, leading to greater health risks for women taking medications. Research into women’s health remains tenuous as the Trump administration has defunded and then subsequently refunded the Women’s Health Initiative program. Patients also report trusting women doctors less, even though they might offer improved patient outcomes compared to physicians who are men.
Distrust of doctors isn’t a new phenomenon. Before the 19th century, the professions of doctor and surgeon were seen as low-class — barely better than butchers. In medieval Europe, surgery was not a distinct medical profession; instead, it was often performed by barbers, giving rise to the term “barber-surgeons.” These individuals were responsible for a range of tasks, from cutting hair to performing minor surgical procedures like bloodletting and tooth extractions. During the American Civil War, soldiers even referred to surgeons as “butchers” because they performed so many grisly amputations.
When doctors fail to listen empathetically or fail to deliver satisfactory care, they are more easily depicted as villains, a fact that RFK Jr. has taken advantage of. It’s understandable that many Americans harbor deep distrust toward the government and healthcare system. These people should not simply be written off as uneducated.
But RFK Jr. is not the right figure to rally behind. His approach to medicine is regressive, grounded in outdated and debunked theories that ignore decades of scientific progress.
Rather than promoting a medical system grounded in empathy, equity and evidence, RFK Jr. perpetuates a culture of fear and misinformation. He fails to offer constructive solutions that would make the healthcare system more accountable or humane. Most concerningly, his rhetoric and policy positions have a disproportionate potential to harm minority communities who already face systemic barriers in accessing quality care.
True reform must involve amplifying marginalized voices and advocating for a compassion-oriented system that acknowledges and addresses historical injustices, rather than returning to an era where superstition and prejudice are mistaken for truth.
Medical professionals are not evil stereotypes or bastions of infallible science. They are imperfect human beings who must be regulated and critiqued to protect the American people. (Just not by RFK Jr.)
Emma Topping is a recent graduate of CU Boulder with a degree in molecular biology. She is passionate about healthcare, infectious disease and equity.