Jim Jordan Hearing With Robert Kennedy Jr. Is a Series of Explosive Moments

The House Judiciary Committee met on Thursday morning as part of the Republican effort to investigate "the weaponization of the federal government" under Biden. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, testified during the hearing which led to a series of explosive moments.

"Today I am testifying in front of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The hearing will examine the federal government's role in censoring Americans, the Missouri v. Biden case, and Big Tech's collusion with out-of-control government agencies to silence speech, including me," Kennedy Jr. a 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, wrote on Twitter.

The hearing on Thursday comes shortly after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan was encouraged to cancel Kennedy Jr.'s testimony by Democrats following a New York Post report that Kennedy Jr. was heard on video saying that "COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted."

"COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese," Kennedy Jr. reportedly said while speaking at a restaurant in New York City this week, the New York Post reported. Kennedy Jr. responded on Twitter by stating he "never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews." He called for the newspaper article to be retracted.

Following the hearing, Kennedy Jr. told Newsweek that "it is ironic that some members of a committee on censorship attempted to censor me."

Speaking to Politico, Jordan responded to Kennedy Jr.'s reported comments and said: "I totally disagree with what he said, but he's a Democrat. I disagree with other things he said too. But we're having him because of censorship."

Several videos posted on social media showed explosive moments of the hearing such as Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who motioned to have Kennedy Jr. censored.

"I've made a motion to move into executive session because Mr. Kennedy's testimony," Wasserman Schultz said before being interrupted by Jordan.

During another moment of the hearing, Jordan had to be reminded by Representative Dan Goldman to swear in Kennedy Jr. as a witness.

"Mr. Chairman are you going to swear in the witnesses?" Goldman asked.

Another portion of the hearing included a conversation between Jordan and Representative Stacey Plaskett where the latter questioned the time Kennedy Jr. was given to speak.

"If you want to cut him off and censor him some more, you're welcome to," Jordan said to Plaskett, who then responded by telling Jordan, "That's not my job. That's your job. Why don't you threaten the witness, so that they can not want to be a witness."

Kennedy Jr. spoke about his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine and said, "At one point you say I'm anti-vax and that's a bad thing and the other moment you point out that all my children are vaxxed. I'm fully compliant with the vaccines schedule myself...except for COVID."

"I have never been anti-vax. I have never told the public to avoid vaccination," Kennedy Jr. said.

Shortly after the New York Post reported on Kennedy Jr.'s remarks about COVID-19, his sister, Kerry Kennedy condemned his comments.

"His statements do not represent what I believe or what Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights stand for, with our 50+-year track record of protecting rights and standing against racism and all forms of discrimination," she said in a statement.

Correction: 7/21/23, 12:21 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Representative Stacey Plaskett.

Update: 7/21/23, 9:23 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from Kennedy Jr.