STAT+: Kennedy’s split-screen week: Talk of vaccines in D.C., fraud and addiction out West

In California, Kennedy rolled out a new approach to addiction treatment President Trump, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pushed new changes for childhood vaccines last week.Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images Aug. 17, 2026 Cirruzzo followed RFK Jr. around California, attending events in Los Angeles and San Diego and attempting to interview him at each one. Chelsea covers the Department of Health and Human Services with a particular focus on power and influence at the top. Confidential tips can be sent via Signal at chelseacirruzzo.42. LOS ANGELES — In the chapel of a homeless shelter, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood behind a lectern with a “Cancel Corruption” sign and lambasted local officials for mishandling the city’s homelessness and substance use crisis. Just 24 hours earlier, Kennedy was in the Oval Office, standing alongside President Trump, as the president signed an executive order calling for major changes to childhood vaccinations. The change in tone — from day to day and coast to coast — shows how Kennedy’s sprawling political messages tied to his Make America Healthy Again movement vary depending on the audience he is in front of. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Chelsea covers the Department of Health and Human Services with a particular focus on power and influence at the top. Confidential tips can be sent via Signal at chelseacirruzzo.42.