In a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) directly confronted anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his rejection of germ theory—the unquestionable scientific idea that specific pathogenic microbes cause specific diseases. After Kennedy defended his fringe view, Senator Bill Cassidy fact-checked and debunked Kennedy’s denialist arguments in real time.
The exchanges mark a rare instance in which Kennedy’s dismissal of germ theory has been raised in such a high-profile public setting, in this case, a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Kennedy, who has no background in science, medicine, or public health, is well known as an ardent anti-vaccine activist and peddler of conspiracy theories. But his startling rejection of a cornerstone theory in biomedical science has mostly been underreported.
As Ars Technica reported last year, Kennedy wrote about his germ theory denialism explicitly in his 2021 book The Real Anthony Fauci. In it, Kennedy maligns germ theory as a tool of pharmaceutical companies, scientists, and doctors to promote the use of modern medicines. Instead of accepting germ theory, Kennedy promotes a concept akin to the discarded terrain theory, in which diseases stem not from germs, but from imbalances in the body’s inner “terrain.” Those imbalances are claimed to be caused by poor nutrition and exposure to environmental toxins and stressors. (In his book, Kennedy erroneously labels this as “miasma theory,” but that is a different theory that suggests diseases derive from breathing bad air, vapors, or mists from decaying or corrupting matter. The idea was supplanted by germ theory, while terrain theory was never widely accepted.)
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I mean, let's not pretend that poor nutrition, environmental toxins and stressors, polluted air, and volatile gases don't contribute to disease.
Some diseases are bacterial, yes. RFK Jr.'s denial of germ theory is asinine, and his comprehension of the ideas he promotes is probably tenuous and inane. I'm not claiming that he's on to something.
But let's not lie to ourselves. Let's not fall for the stupidity by running clear to the opposite end of the stupidity.
Disease is complex and often precipitated by multiple factors. And environmental, toxicological, nutritional, and nervous factors absolutely do contribute to disease.
Ok, but the guy flat-out rejects absolute and established truth.
Right, this wasn't an endorsement of him. There are perfectly legitimate arguments you can make about why he's an idiot and why him being in his current position is a danger to public health.
But saying "he's wrong because he thinks disease is caused by environmental toxins and poor nutrition" is missing a lot of nuance, and is also harmful.
Microplastics? BPAs? PTFEs? So many other examples: from papermills, textiles, coal plants, fertilizers, meat production. All these can have harmful effects when concentrated near population centers, especially upstream of water sources.
I get that RFK jr. isn't talking about those things, and probably thinks they're fake. But those are all environmental toxins, and when you summarily dismiss the idea of toxins causing disease, these all get caught in the crossfire.
Oh I certainly don’t dismiss those at all. Of course environmental toxins and other hazards harm our health. RFK is basically at the point of “humours” and blood-letting and leeches. Even if he says that environmental harms exist, he is still citing long-debunked pseudoscience. I’m sure he thinks it’s nothing a little beef tallow won’t solve, though.