'That’s not normal': CNN panel shocked by applause for RFK Jr. at confirmation hearing

On Wednesday morning, January 29, a Senate confirmation hearing for one of President Donald Trump's most controversial nominees, anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., got underway.

RKF Jr. is being considered for director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) even though many doctors and medical researchers have been highly critical of his views on vaccines and penchant for conspiracy theories.

CNN, before the hearing started, noted that GOP senators will face an intense pressure campaign from MAGA Republicans to confirm Kennedy. And members of a CNN panel, including Pamela Brown and Phil Mattingly, agreed that the applause for Kennedy before the hearing was ="not normal."

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When RFK Jr.'s supporters were applauding, Mattingly told his colleagues, "That's not normal. It also underscores that the elements of this that people have really locked into…. It's not just the MAGA folks that would be upset if there were no votes. There's a coalition that was brought together."

Mattingly continued, "Online influencers — there's a bunch of them that came down. A lot of them are at the hearing right now that have very significant followings on health, on chronic disease that is very, very popular and resonant in the United States right now."

During the segment, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, also on the panel, noted that Kennedy has had a lot to say about chronic diseases.

Gupta told his colleagues, "It's been very, very challenging to tackle this problem. We spent close to $5 trillion on health care every year…. And we have some terrible outcomes in terms of how we stand around the world…. I think a lot of it has to do with our food supply, and this is something he has vowed to target."

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Watch the full video below or at this link.