Additional Coverage:
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces backlash after denying remarks he made about Black children needing to be “reparented” while on ADHD medication during a 2024 podcast interview.
Kennedy appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee to discuss budget matters for the Department of Health and Human Services, but the session quickly turned contentious as lawmakers questioned his past statements and his qualifications to lead the department.
During the hearing, Democratic Representative Terri Sewell of Alabama confronted Kennedy regarding comments he made on the “19Keys show” podcast. In that interview, Kennedy claimed that Black children prescribed ADHD medications like Adderall should be “reparented” through specialized rehabilitation programs. Sewell pressed him further, reminding him that he is neither a board-certified physician nor a medical school graduate, and asked if he had any personal experience “reparenting” Black children.
Kennedy denied ever making such comments, saying, “I don’t even know what that phrase means,” and refused to answer, insisting he needed to see recorded evidence. He accused Sewell of fabricating the statement, declaring, “You’re just making stuff up.”
However, the podcast audio clearly captures Kennedy discussing his vision for “wellness farms”-rehabilitation centers aimed at helping Americans dependent on various drugs, including psychiatric medications. He criticized the widespread use of medications such as Adderall, SSRIs, and benzodiazepines among Black youth, claiming they can induce violence. Kennedy explained that these centers would offer a place free of modern distractions like cell phones, where children could be “reparented” through community interaction.
Social media users quickly challenged Kennedy’s denial, calling him out for dishonesty. One user called him “a disgrace to the Kennedy name,” while others accused him of lying to Congress or simply forgetting his own words, questioning his fitness for office.
This controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny of Kennedy’s leadership amid other headline-grabbing incidents in the political arena.