RFK Jr. Shocks Washington by Applauding Bernie Sanders for Trump’s Drug Price Crackdown — But Is It Real Bipartisanship or Political Theater?
In a surprising turn during one of the most heated battles in American health policy, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
publicly credited none other than his longtime political rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, for influencing President Donald Trump’s latest move to lower prescription drug costs.
At a high-stakes White House press conference on May 12, where President Trump unveiled an executive order aimed at slashing medication prices by benchmarking them against rates in other wealthy nations, Kennedy took a moment to recognize Sanders — a progressive firebrand who has often clashed with both Trump and Kennedy in the past.
“This was a cornerstone of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns,” Kennedy said. “He consistently challenged the pharmaceutical industry and called for closing the outrageous price gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world.”
Praise or Political Strategy?
The unexpected kudos left many wondering whether this was a rare sign of bipartisan alignment — or a cleverly timed political maneuver.
While Sanders acknowledged the dire need to address rising drug prices, he didn’t hold back in criticizing the executive order as more of a symbolic gesture than real reform.
