RFK Jr. vs. the establishment’s trained seals

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. walked into his confirmation hearing expecting a grilling. Instead, he gave a master class in Washington’s most predictable theater—politicians masquerading as public servants while performing for their real benefactors. That spectacle, courtesy of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, should dispel any remaining illusion that the progressive wing of the Democrat Party is anything but a reliable arm of the medical-industrial complex.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. carries a storied name in Democrat politics, but his break from the party’s establishment is now undeniable. Once part of the liberal political dynasty, he has charted a different course, drawing fire from the figures who once positioned themselves as anti-corporate warriors. Warren and Sanders—long posturing as crusaders against corporate excess—have exposed their populist rhetoric as mere Big Pharma, deep pockets kabuki.

Graphic: X Screenshot

Sanders, once the self-styled champion of the working class, has morphed into an enforcer for the very conglomerates he spent decades condemning. The man who once declared that “the business model of the pharmaceutical industry is fraud” spent his time at the hearing trying to undermine Kennedy’s credibility.

True to form, Warren delivered a theatrical performance, parroting party-approved talking points and fixating on past vaccine comments instead of engaging in meaningful policy debate.

Warren’s interrogation of Kennedy over his ties to a law firm suing vaccine manufacturers was not only wild theater but particularly revealing. It underscored the lengths to which she and her colleagues are willing to go to protect the monetary interests of Big Pharma. Rather than engaging with the fundamental questions surrounding corporate accountability in the pharmaceutical sector, she painted Kennedy as a grifter—an ironic charge from a senator whose fundraising relies on manufactured outrage.

The hypocrisy is staggering: According to OpenSecrets, during the 2020 election cycle, Warren took more money from pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer than all but two senators. And topping that list? Bernie Sanders, whose fiery anti-corporate rhetoric conveniently evaporates when it comes to his campaign coffers.

Sanders, once an uncompromising critic of corporate power, still invokes the rhetoric of populism, but his actions tell a different story. Rather than engaging in substantive debate, Sanders fixated on a bizarre and almost comical line of questioning about baby onesies allegedly sold by an organization Kennedy no longer controls.

“Perhaps Bernie’s anti-corporate instincts briefly flared—before collapsing into absurdity. He appeared oblivious to the basic principle that a person cannot control an organization after resigning.”

Once upon a time in America, this loyalty to corporate interests was the hallmark of establishment Republicans—politicians eager to please insurance companies, pharmaceutical giants, and hospital conglomerates in exchange for campaign contributions and industry-friendly policies. But something changed. The Trump era upended old alliances, exposing the left’s newfound appetite for wielding power through public-private partnerships—once the domain of establishment Republicans.

The days of fiery speeches against the ruling class are little more than campaign props—kept alive for appearances but devoid of any real substance. 

Today, their passion is reserved for silencing those who dare challenge the status quo. And the result? A senate hearing consumed by handwringing over lawsuits against Big Pharma and baby onesies. 

Whatever one thinks of him, Kennedy is a real threat to that status quo. He has been a thorn in the side of Big Pharma writ large. His willingness to expose the financial entanglements between government regulators and the regulated is political dynamite. That’s precisely why Warren and Sanders came armed with peculiar narratives, eager to smear him as a dangerous radical.

In truth, nothing is more radical than the Democrat Party’s transformation into the enforcement arm of corporate interests. This hearing wasn’t about Kennedy. It was about ensuring that no one—least of all someone with a name like his—disrupts their new role as the well-trained circus seals of Big Pharma, dutifully clapping for their corporate handlers and waiting for the next fish to be tossed their way.

For years, Americans have watched politicians sell out to the highest bidder. But watching Warren and Sanders—once the supposed warriors against crony capitalism—perform like obedient functionaries for Big Pharma should serve as a wake-up call. The swamp isn’t just alive and well; it has new gatekeepers, and they wear the banner of progressive politics as a convenient disguise.

RFK Jr. and the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement would never have easy sledding. The forces aligned against them are deeply entrenched, well-heeled, and well-connected. These interests will not cede ground without a prolonged struggle—perhaps a war of attrition.

Kennedy may not win this battle, but he has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: Progressivism never sought to dismantle the system—only to tighten its grip on the levers of power.

Charlton Allen is an attorney and former chief executive officer and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder and editor of The American Salient and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast.

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