RFK Jr threatens to ban government scientists from medical journals after his own report cites fake studies
The irony is almost too perfect to believe. America’s new health secretary wants to silence government scientists while his own flagship report is riddled with citations to studies that literally don’t exist.
The “Gold Standard” That Wasn’t
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proudly touted his 73-page “Make America Healthy Again” report as representing “gold-standard” science. The document, commissioned by the Trump administration to examine chronic illness causes, boasted more than 500 citations backing its findings.
Kennedy called it a “milestone” that would provide an “evidence-based foundation” for sweeping policy changes across American healthcare.
But there was just one problem with this scientific tour de force.
When Scientists Fight Back
This week, Kennedy made headlines for threatening to ban government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals. He branded prestigious publications like The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA as “corrupt” and controlled by pharmaceutical companies.
His solution? Create government-run journals instead, effectively silencing independent scientific voices that don’t align with his administration’s agenda.
The timing of this power grab makes the revelations about his own report even more striking.
The Vaccine Skeptic’s Scientific Standards
Kennedy has long been known as a prominent vaccine skeptic, often clashing with mainstream medical consensus. His appointment as health secretary raised eyebrows across the scientific community.
Critics worried about his approach to evidence-based medicine. Those concerns now appear remarkably prescient.
The Trump administration specifically requested this report to examine everything from pesticides to mobile phone radiation as potential causes of chronic illness in children.
When Researchers Say “That’s Not My Work”
The investigation by Notus uncovered something extraordinary. Multiple researchers listed as authors in Kennedy’s report had never written the studies attributed to them.
Dr. Harold J. Farber, a pediatric specialist, told investigators he never wrote the research on asthma overprescribing cited in the report. He’d never even worked with the other listed authors.
Virginia Commonwealth University confirmed that researcher Robert L. Findling never authored the ADHD medication study attributed to him.
The Phantom Studies Revealed
Here’s where the story gets truly remarkable. The investigation found that Kennedy’s “gold-standard” report contains citations to seven studies that appear to be completely fabricated.
Two supposed studies on ADHD medication advertising simply don’t exist in the journals where they’re claimed to be published. When researchers tried to track down one citation, it led only back to Kennedy’s own report.
Beyond the phantom studies, the report systematically misrepresented existing research. Statistician Joanne McKenzie said her work was incorrectly described as showing talking therapy equaled psychiatric medication effectiveness – impossible since her review “did not include psychotherapy.”
Sleep researcher Mariana G. Figueiro found her study completely mischaracterized, with the report claiming it involved children rather than college students and citing the wrong journal entirely.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to requests for comment about these revelations. A follow-up “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” report is scheduled for August, raising serious questions about the scientific credibility underpinning the administration’s entire health agenda.
Perhaps Kennedy should focus on getting his own scientific house in order before silencing the voices of legitimate researchers.