WASHINGTON, DC — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized for controversial past remarks about Black children, while continuing to deny making them despite the existence of recorded audio.
During a Senate exchange, Kennedy was questioned about comments in which he suggested Black children on psychiatric medications could be sent to rural facilities to be “re-parented.” When confronted, Kennedy said he had “no memory” of making such statements and asked to see the recording.
The remarks originate from a 2024 podcast appearance in which Kennedy said, “every black kid” prescribed certain medications could benefit from being placed in structured communities without screens and with increased interpersonal interaction.
“If I said it, I apologize,” Kennedy said, while maintaining he does not believe such a policy should apply broadly. An HHS spokesperson later said Kennedy was referring to therapeutic concepts tied to emotional development rather than a literal policy proposal.
The exchange follows prior scrutiny of Kennedy’s statements on race and health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he promoted claims about ethnically targeted viruses, which he later clarified he did not believe were intentionally engineered to spare specific groups.
Kennedy has also drawn criticism for comments suggesting differences in immune responses among racial groups, which he has defended in past appearances.
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