House Democrats Accuse Kennedy of Spreading Antisemitism Ahead of Testimony on Censorship

In a week filled with controversy and accusation, House Democrats have leveled accusations of antisemitism against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of his scheduled testimony before the Republican-led House Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government. Democrats have expressed concern over Kennedy's recent comments regarding the impact of COVID-19 on different racial and ethnic groups, particularly his claims that the virus disproportionately affects Caucasians and African Americans while sparing Asians and Ashkenazi Jews. Kennedy's comments, which were captured in a New York Post video, have been widely criticized as baseless and divisive.

Representative Mark Takano, a Democrat from California, spoke out against Kennedy's claims, calling them "very dubious" and questioning the judgment of Republican leadership in inviting Kennedy as a credible witness. Takano was part of a group of House Democrats who wrote a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Committee Chair Jim Jordan, urging them to disinvite Kennedy from the hearing. The Democrats argued that Kennedy's comments perpetuate disinformation and do not contribute to the progress of the country.

Kennedy, who is also vying for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, has faced backlash from Democrats, including allies of President Biden, who have expressed opposition to his testimony. Representative Eric Swalwell accused Speaker McCarthy of bringing antisemitism to Congress by allowing Kennedy to testify and called for an apology. Representative Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways & Means Committee, disagreed sharply with Kennedy's suggestions and emphasized that there is little evidence to support his claims.

However, not all Democrats were focused solely on Kennedy's remarks. The controversy surrounding Kennedy's testimony came amid a separate controversy involving Representative Pramila Jayapal, who has faced criticism from both sides of the aisle for calling Israel a "racist state." Several House Democrats sidestepped questions about Netanyahu's government being racist and instead shifted the focus to Kennedy's upcoming testimony.

Some Democrats, including Representative Jared Moskowitz and Representative Jeff Jackson, expressed relief that Jayapal had walked back her initial statement about Israel but refrained from directly commenting on Netanyahu's governing. Representative Neal distanced himself from Jayapal's comments, stating that he believes in having honest disagreements with any democratically elected government.

In response to the criticism, Democratic Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Dan Goldman, and Judy Chu are expected to send a letter to House Speaker McCarthy and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, urging them to rescind the invitation to Kennedy. The lawmakers argue that Kennedy's recent comments are antisemitic and discriminatory and should not be legitimized with a platform before Congress.

Kennedy's testimony on Thursday will focus on accusations that the Biden administration colluded with social media companies to censor speech, particularly during the pandemic. Other witnesses scheduled to testify include Louisiana Special Assistant Attorney General D. John Sauer and a journalist from Breitbart News. Despite the controversy surrounding his remarks, Kennedy's campaign responded to the criticism by calling attention to the irony of Democrats attempting to censor testimony about censorship.

Kennedy, who has long been an outspoken voice against vaccines and a conspiracy theorist, has faced disavowal from his own family members, including his sister Kerry Kennedy and his nephew, President Joe Biden. The hearing on Thursday will undoubtedly be closely watched as Democrats and Republicans continue to clash over issues of censorship, free speech, and the role of social media in public discourse.