RFK Jr. previously said the Trump administration has “done better at controlling the measles outbreak than any country in the world”
Under Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s watch, the U.S. has already surpassed the total number of measles cases in 2025 in only seven months. There have been 2,318 confirmed cases in 2026, the highest number of measles cases in over three decades.
The U.S. recorded 2,289 cases in 2025 alone and the first measles-related deaths in 10 years. Now, more than 25 years after the virus was declared eliminated in the country, the U.S. is expected to lose its measles elimination status if it fails to prove that it can stop the spread of measles. The organization responsible for determining elimination status scheduled a review for April, but the assessment was postponed until November at the Trump administration’s request — likely after the midterm elections.
Under Trump and RFK Jr., there have been notable outbreaks of numerous diseases in addition to measles, including flu, rotavirus, whooping cough, E. coli, campylobacteriosis, listeria, cryptosporidiosis, infant botulism, and most recently, cyclosporiasis. It’s no wonder RFK Jr.’s job approval is underwater, with the majority of Americans disapproving of his job performance.
In response, DNC spokesperson Jaelin O’Halloran released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and RFK Jr. have failed to keep American kids and families safe and healthy from serious illnesses. Dangerous diseases we once defeated are on the rise — making people sick, straining healthcare workers and hospitals, and draining taxpayer dollars. As communities across the country face outbreaks of preventable diseases, RFK Jr. and Trump continue to sow doubt and dysfunction into the public health system and gut critical agencies, putting families and communities in harm’s way.”
The Trump administration has exacerbated measles outbreaks by spreading vaccine misinformation and failing to coordinate with state health officials. RFK Jr. even downplayed the seriousness of a measles outbreak while pressuring Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials to promote unproven alternatives to vaccines.
Under RFK Jr.’s leadership, thousands of CDC employees have left the agency, and 80% of the top posts at the CDC lack permanent leaders. Current and former senior CDC officials have said that work at the agency has ground to a halt. Only 50% of U.S. adults now say they trust the CDC, compared to 77% in early 2025.
