The DSR Network Best of the Daily Blast: Fox News Accidentally Makes RFK Fiasco at Hearing Even Worse for Trump
Dec 30, 2025
In this discussion, Matt Gertz, a Senior Media Analyst at Media Matters, delves into the chaotic fallout from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent Senate hearing. Gertz highlights how Fox News twisted RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine stance, attempting to paint him as pro-vaccine amidst bipartisan criticism. He analyzes the fractures within the Republican Party over public health and predicts that RFK Jr.'s controversial claims could lead to a significant political reckoning. Gertz dissects Fox's struggle to balance MAGA loyalty with broader public health needs.
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Bipartisan Medical Blowback
- Republican doctors on the Senate committee delivered harsh, bipartisan criticism that damaged RFK Jr.'s credibility.
- Matt Gertz highlights that their medical expertise made the attacks particularly damaging to RFK Jr.'s public-health claims.
Eric Erickson's Wife's Vaccine Struggle
- Senator Bill Cassidy read Eric Erickson's account about his wife's inability to get a COVID shot because of HHS changes.
- Matt Gertz and Greg used that concrete example to show real people are being harmed by access restrictions.
Fox's Defensive Framing
- Fox News repeatedly ran chyrons framing RFK Jr. as not denying vaccines despite evidence his policies restrict access.
- Gertz argues the network bent coverage to protect MAGA politics rather than reflect the hearing's substance.