An UNMUTED Debate- Operation MAHA: Mission Accomplished?
Has RFK Jr. Made American Medicine Better or Worse?
In a landmark investigation, researchers could reproduce just 6 of 53 influential cancer studies. In a separate survey, more than 70% of scientists reported failing to replicate another researcher's experiments. And just 8.8% of NIH research grant spending over an 11-year period focused on women's health.
So maybe RFK Jr. has a point. American medicine had serious problems long before he arrived.
Since becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken on the institutions responsible for America's medical research and public health policies. His supporters say he's challenging entrenched interests, demanding scientific accountability, and finally taking neglected health concerns seriously.
His critics see something different. Measles cases have surged to more than 4,500 in 2026, federal research funding has been disrupted, and longstanding vaccine recommendations have come under unprecedented scrutiny. They argue that RFK's reforms threaten the scientific institutions that have saved millions of lives.
But what happens when institutions that deserve scrutiny are challenged by someone whose own scientific judgment is in dispute?
Has RFK Jr. brought much-needed accountability to American medicine? Or has he made an imperfect system considerably worse?
Join Unmuted for a debate about vaccines, women's health, scientific research, and whether Americans should trust the institutions responsible for keeping them healthy.
Kerry Semle is a biomedical engineer, former medical technology executive, and women's health advocate with 15 years of experience in medical devices and diagnostics. She's advocated for greater investment in women's health research and improved access to care.
Emily Kaplan is the CEO and co-founder of the Broken Science Initiative, an organization challenging the scientific establishment and questioning how medical research is conducted, evaluated, and trusted.
Let's get into it.
UNMUTED is the place where talking points go to die.