A combative Senate hearing Thursday exposed growing cracks in Republican support for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has set off panic across the public health world with his moves to curb vaccine access, approval and research.

But despite the efforts of some key GOP senators to drive a wedge between President Trump and his health secretary, Trump has continued to embrace Kennedy and remains reluctant to alienate his "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) coalition that helped deliver him to the White House.

Trump, during a dinner with some of the nation’s leading tech CEOs Thursday night, said he heard Kennedy “did very well” at the hearing, though he hadn’t watched it.

“It’s not your standard talk, I would say,” Trump said of Kennedy. “And that has to do with medical and vaccines. But if you look at what’s going on in the world with health, and look at this country also with regard to health, I like the fact that he’s different.”

Kennedy showed no signs of backing down from his most divisive decisions during Thursday’s hearing. He aggressively defended his moves to oust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director and impose new restrictions on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, confronting members of both parties. And he deflected questions by saying senators were “making stuff up,” even going after Republicans.

“Is this a question, Sen. Cassidy? Or is this a speech?” Kennedy asked at one point, after being pressed by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate’s Health Committee, on his support for Trump’s Operation Warp Speed.

Following the hearing, Trump allies said Kennedy’s appearance delivered the kind of combativeness the president........

© The Hill