Bernie Sanders Admits RFK Jr. Is ‘Exactly Correct’ About One Key Issue

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dared to challenge Joe Biden, first as a Democrat and then as an independent, in the 2024 presidential race, he became a common enemy for many on the left — including members of his own family.

Now that he is poised to become the head of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump, however, some of those critics are beginning to take a more nuanced look at his beliefs.

Even far-left U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has some very limited praise for Kennedy, as The Hill reported:

“I think what he’s saying about the food industry is exactly correct. I think you have a food industry concerned about their profits, could care less about the health of the American people. I think they have to be taken on,” Sanders said during a Thursday interview with CBS News correspondent Natalie Brand.

President-elect Trump tapped Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic and environmental lawyer, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month. The nomination sent shock waves among public health experts, who worry he could meddle with key government agencies, amplify vaccine hesitancy and direct agency funding to favor his preferred views.

Kennedy’s potential impact on the next administration has been the topic of significant social media discussion since Trump announced his nomination:

1961: A young Robert Kennedy Jr. shows his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, his pet salamander in the Oval Office.

2024: RFK Jr. becomes the United States Health and Human Services Secretary to ensure today’s children grow up in a world without poison.

God Bless America. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/E798zPRupj

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 15, 2024

RFK Jr searching Donald Trump and the Oval Office for junk food day 1 on the job pic.twitter.com/7pGFXfUi8y

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) November 15, 2024

HOLY SH*T 🚨 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. EXPOSED “Dr” Fauci. It is time to throw Fauci in Prison 🇺🇸

“Dr” Fauci NEEDS to be held accountable 👏

What do you think ? pic.twitter.com/OovXYLCbQR

— Marjorie Taylor Greene Press Release (Parody) (@MTGrepp) November 10, 2024

He is 70 and will be leading the health department of the US by example!
Robert F Kennedy Jr 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/0JvzJ4bSlS

— Mini (@perfectminz) December 4, 2024

Sanders expressed similar support for Kennedy in a separate interview, per National Review:

“When Kennedy talks about an unhealthy society, he’s right,” Sanders told Business Insider in an interview published Thursday. “The amount of chronic illness that we have is just extraordinary.”

“We want our people to have long lives, productive lives, happy lives. That’s what we want,” he said. “And if the industry is giving our kids food that’s making them overweight, leading to diabetes and other illnesses, clearly that’s an issue that we’ve got to deal with.”

Still, Sanders said some of Kennedy’s other stances — including his outspoken position against vaccines and his desire to remove fluoride from public water — are “kind of crazy” and “extremely dangerous.”

But overall, Sanders acknowledged  “some of what he’s saying is not crazy.”

Here’s a clip from his recent CBS News interview: