4 things to know from RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing: from the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk , an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Wednesday from Washington, where the focus was (at least partially) back on President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks. We break down the key moments from Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Plus, Ben Kamisar compares Trump’s standing with voters with that of other recent presidents as they entered office.



Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. — Adam Wollner 4 things to know from RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing It was Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.’s turn in the hot seat as he appeared before senators for the first of two hearings to be the next secretary of health and human services. While several of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks have stirred up controversy, Kennedy’s nomination is unique in that it has drawn opposition from those on the left and the right.

The 31⁄2-hour hearing before the Senate Finance Committee gave Kennedy his highest-profile opportunity yet to address concerns. Here are the key takeaways: Vaccines: As expected, Kennedy’s long history of hostility toward vaccines was a major line of questioning. Kennedy tried to get ahead of it in his opening statement, declaring he is not “anti-vaccine or anti-industry” but “pro-safety,” as Natasha Korecki reports .

But Democrats didn’t buy it. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

, the ranking member of the committee, pressed Kennedy about his comments on a 2023 podcast in which he said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” Kennedy said the quote was taken out of context. “I support the measles vaccine.

I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking anything,” he said. Abortion: Similarly, Kennedy, a former Democrat, sought to backtrack on his past comments about abortion rights, which have been a concern for conservatives.

While he was running for president last year, Kennedy said on a podcast that he would support allowing women to have abortions at full term. Days later, he walked his position back , writing on X that “abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter.” Kennedy faced questions from senators on both sides of the aisle about his position.

And he tried to align himself with Trump, saying abortion policy should be left to the states. He also added that Trump asked him to study the abortion pill mifepristone. “I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said, a line he repeated several times at the hearing.

“I serve at the pleasure of the president. I’m going to implement his policies.” Medicaid: While Kennedy didn’t face much in the way of opposition from Republicans, he was tripped up during a line of questioning from Sen.

Bill Cassidy, R-La., about Medicaid. For instance, Kennedy said Medicaid premiums and deductibles were too high, saying most people who use it are “not happy.

” But most people on Medicaid aren’t charged for premiums or deductibles, and polls generally show the public views the program favorably. Cassidy will be a key factor in Kennedy’s path to confirmation. A doctor, Cassidy also chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which will hold a confirmation hearing for Kennedy on Thursday.

Cassidy hasn’t said how he plans to vote on Kennedy. Bottom line: Kennedy didn’t endear himself to any Democrats, but he has yet to have any Republican senators publicly come out in opposition to him. He can afford to lose the support of only three on the Senate floor if Democrats are united against him.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

, a member of the Finance Committee who was a swing vote for Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary, said after the hearing: “I’m in a presumptive lean yes position, and everything he did today hasn’t eroded that position.” Read more from Natasha on the hearing → What the polls say about the start of Trump's second term By Ben Kamisar The early polling shows Donald Trump starting with more backing from voters — and more wiggle room — than he had going into his first term in the White House. But it remains to be seen how they will judge his first actions as president.

Trump entered his second term with a better image rating than he had in January 2017. NBC News/Wall Street Journal polling from the days before his first inauguration found just 38% of adults gave him positive ratings, while Fox News found 42% of registered voters viewed him positively at that point. Now, Fox News’ most recent poll shows Trump with a 50% positive rating among registered voters, and a new Wall Street Journal poll has found that 47% of registered voters view him favorably.

(Both polls were conducted before Trump took office.) An analysis of NBC News polling spanning the last five presidencies shows how short honeymoons can be in the White House. Joe Biden : His 51% approval rating in April 2021 slipped to 45% by late October and to 41% by March 2022.

His approval rating never got above 46% for the rest of his presidency. Donald Trump: His first approval rating in NBC News polling was 44% in February 2017, which slipped immediately to 39% by the next NBC News poll, in May. But Trump’s approval rating was more inelastic than those of other presidents of recent memory, staying inside a relatively narrow range of 39% to 47% for his entire presidency.

Barack Obama: His 60% approval rating in early March 2009 stayed consistent in an NBC News poll the following month. But it slid in four of the next five polls, though his low of 47% in December 2009 was substantially higher than the depths Trump’s or Biden’s numbers reached. After the initial dive, Obama’s rating oscillated around 50% until the summer before the 2010 midterm elections.

Bill Clinton: His approval rating ticked up from 51% shortly after he took office to 57% in March 1993. It slid to 41% by June 1993 before it marched back up to 60% on his first anniversary in office. Clinton’s approval rating proceeded to slide in 1994 all the way to 43% before Republicans took over Congress in that year’s midterm elections.

(George W. Bush’s first year was marred by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which makes comparison to the first years of other presidencies difficult.

) Read more from Ben → That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.

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