RFK Jr.: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

I know for a fact someone on John's team was absolutely seething that the road kill bear story came out after the episode was published

[@raldenvcs]

Behind the Bastards recorded a four-parter on him and the host is pissed that it was recorded before that

[@darklordofsword]

I'm surprised the didn't delay this and record an addendum.

[@raldenvcs]

@darklordofsword Honestly, not that big a story in the context of his life. He's actively doing far more dangerous things than some idiotic prank

[@valivali8104]

​@@raldenvcs he said that he found bear dead, but why did he took it? How did he know that it was fresh enough to skin and *eat* ? Edit: I have been told by dozens of commenters that he told that he saw car hitting cub. Among other crazy things...

[@raldenvcs]

@valivali8104 According to him he saw a woman hit it with her car, the news reports said he "found it." Decent chance it died more nefariously (especially with stab wounds found in it) but no way to know really.

[@laalaa99stl]

I love how this is even before knowing about the story of RFK Jr. dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park.

[@DeShawnGreen2001]

Thats so random tf any additional context you care to share?

[@1ACL]

Google it!

[@KingOfSparkles]

What do you mean??

[@Apnachannal1234]

My parents said if I hit 4k they'd buy me a professional camera begging you g begging!!!😂

[@evoluxman9935]

@@KingOfSparkles A few years ago a dead bear cub was found buried in central park. A few days ago RFK Jr. admitted it was him, he had killed the cub in a road accident

[@austintomlinson7863]

I don't care that it was very brief, but THANK YOU so much for mentioning Ranked Choice voting. It is one of the most underrated issues out there, and unfortunately the only way we actually get these kind of movements started in this country is by our TV funny men bringing them up. PLEASE continue to mention it as the solution to the 2-party system we NEED this.

[@SUZSMITH]

You are so right.

[@TheMargarita1948]

But if we destroy the 2-party system, that could bring about the end of slavery.

[@jenniferbond2323]

Agreed

[@rockoutconsiderably]

Star voting system is a good one

[@petetown13]

The ironic part about rank choice is that neither dems or reps want it and it will take a 3rd party winner like RFK or Stein to actually attempt to implement it across the entire U.S.

[@miriam617]

It's not the main point of the video, but shout-out to John and his team for the way they handled the anti-vax movement's gross rhetoric around autistic people. (P.S. I'm autistic, so please no torches or pitchforks for not using 'person-first language')

[@thefabledfish]

From another autistic person: yes to everything you said!

[@Simon-nw9bf]

OK so what causes autism? Why has there been no mainstream research on it? If it were genetic it would hold firm throughout history. Where are the massive numbers of autists who currently spend all day on the internet going on about furry porn or whatever in the 16th century?

[@ArcanineEspeon]

I'm an autistic person too. To me the difference in meaning is like 1%, and the awkward grammar and extra syllable and a half​ is not worth it.

[@ArcanineEspeon]

My stages of watching this video went from "Wait, people take the bear kíller seriously?" to "This guy doesn't seem that bad...oh god what's about to happen?" to "I despise this foul worm with every fiber of my being" for talking about my people that way. Hearing the way he talked about "fIfTy PeRcEnT" of us made ME want to run around screaming and banging my head into a wall.

[@EmmaVB82]

2 months later (I’m AuDHD, so I can’t get around to anything on time 😂) 100% agree with you all, and that’s also what I came to comment on! Andrew Wakefield and his fraudster anti-vax ilk have caused such a vast amount of harm on so many levels - both to people and communities who don’t get vaccinated for bogus fear-based reasons all around the world, resulting in actual harm and death by those preventable diseases being contracted and spread instead of suppressed and eradicated; as well as to neurodivergent people (and those around them) due to the enormous stigma and fear stirred up about how terrible it is to be autistic. The likes of JFK and the insane anti-vax anti-autism (not that the two things are related!!) cult that have sprung up in the intervening decades are an exercise in maybe equal parts evilness and stupidity 😫

[@redkingrauri3769]

"Switzerland's last shooting was 21 years ago" Yeah. Because they DID something about it. Switzerland has a high rate of gun ownership, BUT: -You have to prove you are not a threat to others or yourself -You cannot have a criminal record indicating violent disposition or pose danger to others. -Background checks are mandatory and thorough. -You have to register any gun you buy, including private sales -You have to prove safe storage -You need a permit or hunting license to carry a gun in public -You cannot carry a loaded gun in public -You need a REASON to transport a gun, not just carry it around because you're paranoid -You cannot have concealed carry -ammo is not sold where guns are and goes through the same process including background checks -loss of a weapon must be reported immediately There's a lot more but yes, that's the difference: Switzerland enacted gun laws in response to the shooting while still allowing citizens to have them. We just brush it off because it's always too soon after the last one to talk about it.

[@stephaniebrizard8657]

We could do the same, American politicians just don't care and want to pocket lobbyist money.

[@redkingrauri3769]

@@stephaniebrizard8657 Apparently we can't even consider registries without 2A people throwing a fit.

[@whatleft123]

Also, income inequality is much less in Switzerland.

[@mammawlee]

Thank you for this info!

[@hherpdderp]

Another comedian pointed out before there is a contradiction. People day they need their guns for home defence. But that they are responsible. Responsible means as you stated above that they keep it under lock and key. But that also makes it very hard to use for home defence.

[@iilwy]

not many people may have noticed but i love that you still call them tweets and show the Twitter logo LOL

[@Diphenhydra]

As he has said in the past, he is not a journalist. Therefore, he does not have to abide by the journalistic integrity. Though, you'll still see journalists finding ways to have that integrity while also giving a middle finger to Elon.

[@Blaurot]

He also doesnt write the scripts, so im sure its a team decision

[@lidbass]

Not only did I notice, but I also heartily approve!

[@RochelleLang]

"X" only makes sense to Elon Musk

[@godlygamer911]

... "not many people have noticed" - a line by every pseudo intellectual

[@tuvillo]

"anti-depressants make people depressed because everyone who takes them is depressed" - Flawless facebook scientists

[@monsterfurby]

Firefighters: the leading cause of house fires.

[@snehashispanda4808]

I am an atheist. I don't believe in the existence of God. There is insufficient evidence or rational justification to support the belief in any gods or supernatural entities. I rely on reason, logic, and empirical evidence to form my worldview and do not find compelling evidence or arguments to support the existence of god.The universe is governed by natural laws and forces, rather than moral, spiritual, or supernatural ones. As an atheist, I reject the idea of God. I emphasize the social and empirical nature of inquiry and prioritize scientific solutions to intellectual problems.

[@TheRatsintheWalls]

​@@snehashispanda4808 Was this an attempt to parody Facebook atheists, or an attempt to impersonate an atheist who always feels the need to bring it up. Either way, why type that all up? (I agree that this was probably a bot.)

[@danielwells8031]

Every antidepressant ad: This medication may increase thoughts and actions of harm and suicide.

[@valivali8104]

​@@snehashispanda4808 what this has to do with anything?

[@darthmeticulous6901]

This needs a sequel that includes the dead bear story, other things this segment did not even mention, and his dropping out and endorsing Trump. I’d love to see John Oliver’s reaction to the dead bear story.

[@matthewnewell4517]

And the dead whale and the chainsaw.

[@hhunstad2011]

I felt for the parents of that young boy who passed during football. May they find strength and some peace.

[@STAWTEREHWYREVE-dx7si]

I don't have children of my own, but I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child. I couldn't endure the pain, I don't have that kind of strength.

[@virginiamoss7045]

Just hearing about that sharply hurts my heart.

[@genechanloui]

It's happened a bunch of times to athletic young people but didn't admit it

[@kylekataryn3454]

@@STAWTEREHWYREVE-dx7si it is said that burying' one's parents is burying one's past, but to bury a child is to bury your future.

[@YOSSARIAN313]

Football will probably be banned within my lifetime. I love the sport but downturn in youth football means that it is probably inevitable

[@jaspurp.chafer7063]

Thank you for including an autistic person when you were talking about autism. Super refreshing to feel included in the conversation!

[@Cripplified]

Autism is a huge spectrum and hard to explain to many people. That "weird" kid in your school was probably an undiagnosed person on the spectrum, but so could all the super smart kids that didn't seem "weird" who hyper focused on one hobby. Autism is far more prevalent than people realize. You don't need to be in a wheelchair or have an extra chromosome to be autistic. Many autistic people live normal lives, but it doesn't mean they aren't having to live through that reality.

[@baeb66]

That guy was awesome.

[@jaspurp.chafer7063]

@@baeb66agreed. In my experience most us autists are

[@jaspurp.chafer7063]

⁠@@Cripplifiedyeah I’m that “weird” kid. What’re you saying? are you mansplaining autism to someone with autism? lol

[@josephinethornton3823]

And so many of us aren't even diagnosed until late in life, if at all. I was fifty before my doctor even noticed, and only because I WAS THE ONE WHO ASKED, and I've been in steady therapy since I was maybe 12? 14? I forget. How did DECADES of psychologists and psychiatrists not even once figure it out? MY OTHER FRIEND ON THE SPECTRUM DID and that's why I brought it up, and the doctor said, "Oh wow. I. . . Didn't even notice, but yes, you do show most of the common signs. We will test you." And yep. Sure enough.

[@jasondebruyn2543]

The "to quote absolutely no one from the 2016 Clinton campaign, we should be worried about Michigan" joke deserved a way bigger laugh

[@Therealwanderingyooper]

Political science jokes land about as well as math jokes. The right crowd hears it and it’s great! The rest of humanity hears it and wonders what shade of white the wall is painted.

[@tjbrody]

Or a bigger cry

[@wayneswonderarium]

Too soon 😢

[@SolaceEasy]

Neither Clinton nor her supporters take jokes well.

[@Tbethsheehan]

🤣😂🤣

[@sherylsmallwood-valdivia5375]

My Dad is sixty years old and just spent the last four weeks watching his recording of the British Open. The side by side commentary with the commercials was "too distracting" so he split an Amazon box in half to block the commercials so he could properly watch the game. He also will use work out pants for years until holes pop up and loses it when my mom changes them. But sure, Autism is a new thing.

[@RJJMQ]

Do you listen? He didn't say it was new he said it has turned into an almost epidemic which is right

[@notsure1969]

@@RJJMQIt’s not an epidemic. It is being discovered that more people actually have some form of it than was previously known or recorded/reported.

[@Pyrœpunk]

Calling autism an “epidemic” is not only wrong but it’s extremely dangerous as it directly hurts people with autism. I should know considering I have autism

[@lionheart5078]

what u described has literally nothing to do with autism lol. Autism is about human interaction and communication with other humans. It’s a fact that autism rates have risen in the modern era, i’m not against vaccines and even i can admit this.

[@Pyrœpunk]

@@lionheart5078 I can’t tell if this is in response to me or the other comments

[@kennyfresquez7019]

"I'm called John Oliver Esquire because I'm always allowed to approach the bench." Brilliant!

[@Innerbrave]

It was really good, combining both the formality of the jeans and the rest of the joke. lol.

[@alphanerd7221]

It makes no sense.

[@impishlyit9780]

@@alphanerd7221 Ah, okay. So he's making a pun utilizing the term "bench press" and "approaching the bench" being a thing that lawyers request in order to talk to a judge quietly. "Esquire" is a suffix that originated from the official honorific for being a squire, but is now used in the US primarily by lawyers. He's saying they call him a lawyer because he's always allowed to 'approach the bench'. Hope that helps!

[@longjohn526]

A friend of mine got a blood clot in his leg a couple of months after he was vaccinated so he asked his doctor if the vaccine caused it and his doctor said" No, you got a blood clot in your leg because you are Diabetic and smoked cigarettes for 40 years"

[@surfwriter8461]

Wow, a sensible answer that counters the qrazy conspiracy theory buffoons who continue to rail against not just the covid vaccines but vaccines in general. RFK Jr is a seriously deranged freakster who may have pumped up his muscles but has lost billions of brain cells along the way.

[@chonkychonk]

Shit that could go either way, I hope your friend has recovered.

[@dumdumm3299]

i am a vascular technologist who looks for venous blood clots anywhere from two to six times a day at work. i have been asked by multiple patients if i think vaccines cause blood clots. it’s very frustrating because DVT can be a very serious condition- misunderstanding where that thrombus is coming from means the patient won’t be taking the proper steps to correct it in the future. if you think you got a blood clot from the covid vax and not from sitting for 16 hours straight on your last airplane flight or truck driving job, you’re not going to think to yourself, “gee, in the future i should make sure to get up and walk a bit every couple of hours on long flights/drives.” the other frustrating thing is that these conspiracy theorist types never know the difference between a venous blood clot and an arterial blood clot. they don’t even know the details of the medical bullshit they’re spewing. i once saw one online that said vaccines cause DVT (venous blood clots), which can cause stroke…….. which is just so, so wrong on a very basic level lol (the main concern with DVT is that they will break off and fly into the lungs, NOT the brain, because YOUR VEINS DON’T DRAIN INTO YOUR BRAIN)

[@Jankybro]

Just be aware that this show is state-sponsored propaganda

[@obinator9065]

@@chonkychonk The clot happens at most a few weeks afterwards. That's long term damages.

[@WormyWatcher]

During my single experience on the NYC subway, I witnessed a man doing flips WHILE he was playing a bible audio book full blast on his speaker.

[@dickschwanzstein1789]

Sounds like you watched this video to form a well-informed opinion of the nephew of JFK and not to be entertained and to have your opinions reaffirmed.

[@AwesometownUSA]

as someone who’s had commutes that involved taking as many as 3 separate NYC subway trains each way to and from work… that sounds like the most normal of an experience someone could possibly have haha

[@44scotlandstreet87]

​@@dickschwanzstein1789 someone is jealous they didn't see a man doing flips while playing a bible audio book on full blast on his speaker

[@DeliveringSolutions]

I challenge everyone to watch a full interview of RFK Jr. Somethong at least as long as this smear piece. (35 minutes). There are hour-plus long interviews of him on KZbin. Instead of judging him based on snippets and comedy taken out of context, become an informed citizen and actually listen to the presidential candidate who is the ONLY chance we have of draining the swamp. ...why do you think he is being censored and smeared everywhere???

[@Vincent-ni8fn]

So who’s coming back here after Kennedy Jr. dropped out and endorsed Trump?

[@AluminumAllium]

Me

[@kidunderabridge]

ME!

[@thewideawake1]

me

[@anastasiabeaverhausen.]

Me! It's absolutely terrible that he's endorsing him. I swear if he ends up helping Trump win, there is no justice left for truth tellers 😢

[@as-sz2wp]

@@anastasiabeaverhausen. Maybe Kennedy Jr. realized your "truth tellers" are just full of hot air.🤷‍♂

[@JeffreyGoddin]

The immediate applause for Ranked Choice Voting was particularly heartwarming, thanks for the plug, John!

[@standupguy12]

A poll was taken recently that showed most people would vote for RFK Jr., if they thought he had a chance to win! Us RFK Jr. fans want Ranked Choice Voting too!

[@gsp4prez]

@@standupguy12you’re directly responsible for dead children. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[@jacobandrews2663]

​@standupguy12 That's great. But the point still stands, that the solution comes from the ranked choice voting system, not the other way around, I.e., a single candidate

[@FTfilm]

@@standupguy12 lol "fans" yeah right Putler Bot

[@duck_corp]

​@@standupguy12Did you even watch this video?

[@cryss.6570]

"dating ad of someone who just lost custody" I was drinking soda when that one dropped and i don't think my sinuses will ever be the same.

[@jeffbirkner5460]

I love the nod to Ranked Choice Voting! It's the best way to fix our country, and I applaud John Oliver's courage to bring it up!

[@jaefrmbk2k]

💯🎉🗳🩵

[@victorsalazar445]

Please look up STAR Voting. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is flawed.

[@colleenmahony8803]

THAT, and/or states changing the way their electoral votes are apportioned -- by percentage rather than winner-takes-all. Only 2 states currently do this, but getting states to make this change might be easier than getting a constitutional amendment to end the electoral college altogether.

[@accord_aero_r]

I think RCV is an awful idea. If it weren't for RFK, I wouldn't be voting this time around. His weird shit is fun enough to poke fun at, but none of that stuff will affect what he's actually trying to implement, and I agree with a higher percentage of his actual policy talk than the other two candidates. Hell, it helps that he actually talks a lot on his policy, whereas I feel like a lot of what Kamala and Trump are saying are just empty words to appeal to their established fanbases. Neither are trying for real unity. I really don't want Kamala or Trump in office, so I'd rather my vote not be used to give either of them any sort of leverage - if Kennedy's not in, I'm out.

[@caliggyjack7480]

RCV doesn't stop two parties from taking over everything. Look at the UK

[@nixdawegda]

You don't have to vaccinate your children. Only those you want to keep.

[@hannahg.8572]

That’s what my grandpa always said about brushing your teeth ;)

[@camsons]

RFK Jr's the type of guy to get interogated as a witness and immediately admit to 5 crimes

[@HeySlothKid]

Not even being interrogated, the detective just happened to stop to ask him the time

[@cassnotacapybara8736]

Ace Attorney ass person

[@Mastermindyoung14]

Yeah... Honesty is an unusual and unexpected quality from a political candidate. Thanks for pointing out how rare he is.

[@blu3260]

@@Mastermindyoung14 Yeah, gotta admit he was pretty honest when talking about OJ Simpson, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and more being at his house when simply asked about Epstein.

[@manderly33]

@@Mastermindyoung14 He was so honest when he lied about why he went to Samoa and disavowed his activities there.

[@josephinethornton3823]

John Oliver saying: "It is the ultimate Conspiracy Theorists Code: 'Everything is a coincidence except when I do it,"'might be the most underrated sentence in this episode.

[@darthparallax5207]

Area 51 is the Good Guys.

[@ttacking_you]

​​@@darthparallax5207THAT BASE IS NOT A THEORY! part of the problem is conspiracy theorists are too stupid to know the difference between conspiracy THEORIES and conspiracies @darthparallax5207 that base is real. Government officials CONSPIRED to create it. Everything that we think happens there is a CONSPIRACY THEORY.

[@PurpleBandit3000]

You got it backwards. It's "Nothing is a coincidence except when I do it."

[@PhilindaShepley-mp9mv]

Nothing is coincidence unless I do it

[@poolhallguitars7620]

"I have a conspiracy theory" - Anonymous

[@Deemo202]

One thing I appreciate about Last Week Tonight videos is that there are no YT ads on them.

[@mcg144]

That's becauyse he spews the proper narrative. - Google approves!

[@FlanaFugue]

@@mcg144 Learning from RFK I see: just sound plausible with confidence and we should believe your narrative... but if we question it, will you be able to provide evidence? or will you just be like: "of course they do, how can you not believe that?"

[@bhibhas9433]

Seeing is believing. Where are the ads?​@@FlanaFugue

[@Davey-TheDJ]

I don't see ads cuz I paid KZbin Google alphabet Corporation for no commercials no ads for premium service you damn right do something on Prime I hate commercials I know what I want and I go to store and get what I want I don't change well sometimes I do but you know when it comes to food I don't change

[@FlanaFugue]

@@bhibhas9433 There are no ads. Why are there are no ads? Because___(insert reason)__. Can you prove it? Yes, because there are no ads. Can you see the flaw there?

[@SteveScapesYT]

As someone from Hawaii I was a bit worried when I saw this pop up in my feed because I didn’t want to be disappointed by one of my favorite comedians. I wasn’t, great job John. A couple things though: -It isn’t Native Hawaiians leaving at 15,000 a year, it’s Hawaii locals. Hawaii is a diverse state and most local’s aren’t Native Hawaiian- still it’s home and a key part of our history. -There is a huge population of Asian Americans that are part of that local group- it’d be great to not be erased from the story each time the state is discussed. The state government you discussed has been run in big part by Japanese American veterans who returned from WWII and got educated on the GI bill like my Grandfather and Senator Daniel Inouye, after whom our airport is now named. We are as big a part of the state’s history as it is a part of ours’. -For all mainlanders it would be good to remember, the word “Hawaiians” explicitly refers to native ethnic Hawaiians, while the rest of us who don’t have Hawaiian ethnicity are Hawaii locals. It’s a term for ethnicity, not residency or upbringing. But on the issues and Substance- John’s nailed it.

[@ErzbischofAmurael]

Wrong video ma dude

[@HeisenbergFam]

"that looks less like a campaign ad and more like dating profile of guy who lost custody" Oliver's humor is golden

[@Apnachannal1234]

My parents said if I hit 4k they'd buy me a professional camera begging you g begging!!!😂

[@cockroach2013]

His writers’ humor, you mean.

[@lucca2c]

They are great lol I still laugh at the joke from a couple weeks ago saying that the NYC citizen guards thing look like “divorced strawberries”

[@thog210]

I love John but most of the jokes on this show aren't great. RFK had way funnier one liners he should become a writer on this show and leave politics behind

[@d1boundkj]

It’s finally completed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3uce4unpq-nos0si=p9XEnZpk_dGbTaZg

[@GeneralLizations]

"The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it." -Brandolini

[@Mi_Mono]

Yea like all the BS platforms like this sow about the only viable presidential candidate this time around.

[@tim3172]

@@Mi_Mono What, specifically, had been made up about Harris? The "she's not black" thing? RFK is stillborn and Trumpybear has decomposed.

[@noahziegler3478]

Yeah, the amount of bullshit that John spit is impossible to keep up with. From him saying RFK wants to give loans to people with bad credit when he clearly said "first-time home buyers" my wife and I would qualify. First time home buyers here with 760 credit scores. To John, somehow thinking poppers in the 80s were caffeine drinks? Look up Amyl nitrate if you want to know what a popper is if you didn't live it. This is only a snippet it makes me real question everything John Oliver's ever done honestly what a disingenuous hit piece.

[@eric2500]

@@Mi_Mono VIABLE? The third place candidate?

[@dbaargosy4062]

how regulated can bind the "power" of regulators🤭

[@totally_a_real_account7902]

Absolutely delighted by this suit. The navy jacket and dark red tie seem like classic basics to have, but the delightful patterned shirt that matches the tie quite nicely really brings the look together. This is a fantastic look that really lets Oliver’s looks feel mature but not be terrible. 8/10

[@wjm_213]

This is my favorite comment.

[@tracynonumbers]

still wonder how he shifted his teeth around...but I've always liked imperfect smiles

[@JP_3912]

It’s the ultimate conspiracist’s code: “Nothing is a coincidence *except* when I do it” I like this. Hits the nail on the head

[@layneparrish6725]

"I've never met an autistic person my age" is rich coming from the guy who's family LOBOTOMIZED Rosemary

[@angelaa7388]

Its sad that there are so few resources for disabled adults that they literally seem to disappear from the public sphere.

[@Eli-su6ql]

Right?? I was like "wasn't that his family who basically killed of one of their disabled relatives? I must be misremembering the family, because no way could he have that opinion knowing what they used to do to disabled people..." but no, I had the right family. Figures a conspiracy theorist can will himself to forget such inconvenient details

[@Eximietate]

Thank you for leaving this comment. I had never heard of Rosemary Kennedy, looked it up, and WOW that's a horrifying story.

[@marktully7755]

...shoulda volunteered with his Aunt Eunice...

[@Seth-ff9dn]

Maybe autistic people, who face big obstacles in life, wouldn't be likely to gain an audience with a public figure like RFK, Jr.

[@mrneedlemouse6447]

17:32 That Smokey the Bear joke aged like a fine wine and the episode wasn't even a day old.

[@FloridaCoast]

Kennedy 2024

[@kcaustin904]

@@FloridaCoast Free Palestine

[@Muzikrazy213]

......why?

[@Iffy350]

Stop censoring me!

[@katza831]

No ​@@kcaustin904

[@ErutaniaRose]

19:12 Surprise….it’s a spectrum. Not every autistic is nonverbal, semi verbal, or always having meltdowns. And those who have higher support needs are still human. THANK YOU John for humanizing autistics and including an autistic voice! This is truly a rarity and I hope there is more of it on the future.

[@organa1626]

Yep, I'm someone most people can't tell is autistic until they get to know me because I'm able to mask effectively and I'd wager the vast majority of autistic people are like me or are at least able to function independently day-to-day. Conservatives simply don't understand that and only see/recognize autism as it presents in severe cases. It's the same with any cognitive disorder, they only acknowledge the severe cases and say everyone else is pretending

[@francisseidel8014]

@ErutaniaRose - As the father of a profoundly autistic daughter, there is an old saying the autism community that applies: "When you've met an autistic person, then you've met ONE autistic person." It is not appropriate to apply how this autistic person interacts to my daughter, or vice-versa. John is guilty of lumping all autistic people in the same proverbial boat and then sinking it. He did not humanize them, he dismissed the needs of an important segment of the autistic community. The autistic voice you mentioned does not speak for my daughter or many others, he speaks for himself. This is analogous to a preacher who claims to speak for God and that only is true in their own mind and the minds of those who blindly follow.

[@Ludifant]

​​@@speurtighearnamacterik8230yeah.. well we think the same about neurotypicals and we are better at making weapons, so.. think again, before we weaponise your DNA

[@Ludifant]

​@@speurtighearnamacterik8230who made you king of defining what is human?

[@AlwaysANemesis]

​@@francisseidel8014 Unless you expected the show to add an additional 45 minutes to undergo every single complexity about the autistic spectrum, I believe that it was handled tactfully as someone who _is_ in fact on the spectrum. The segment wasn't about the entire history of Autism, it was about RFK Jr. and his various misconceptions and absurd takes, which included Autism. There is only so much time in a day. That is especially true of syndicated television.

[@peteshop]

It’s sad to hear him talk about autistic people. The Kennedys have a very odd relationship with mental illness. His aunt Rosemary Kennedy was given a lobotomy at the age of 22 because she was “difficult”. She had a brain injury from lack of oxygen during birth. After the lobotomy, she was institutionalized.

[@kcbowman4042]

There was another family member institutionalized as well. Kennedy's in Jrs generation had hell of a bad rep in Long Island.

[@Zencraft22]

Convenient to just ignore the fact they started the special Olympics

[@Odima16]

Thank you so much for mentioning the importance of Ranked Choice Voting. Changing our voting system is critical to having any chance of breaking out of the two-party, primary-based trap we're currently in, and I'm sad how infrequently I hear people talk about it.

[@victorsalazar445]

​@@josh_m I completely agree. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) retains the spoiler effect and is just not that good. My favorite alternative is also STAR Voting. I wish people looked this up a bit more, but the math behind it can be a bit intimidating. Nonetheless, STAR Voting is just way better. Thank you for bringing attention to this as well.

[@evanbarnes9984]

Just please remember to vote! The system we have now is fucked, but it only gets better if we get progressives in office. Literally the right is trying to change the voting system too, but in the direction of one man, one vote, and that one man is Trump. I just hear too many people say they won't vote because they don't feel like it's moral to participate in an imperfect system, but that's just refusing to pull the lever on the trolley problem, and doesn't actually absolve anyone morally. Anyway, rant over, I just get freaked out about how bad the left is at actually turning out for the vote

[@evanbarnes9984]

Also STAR voting is a new one for me! Thanks for pointing that out, I think I'm going to program some simulations of it to get a better sense of how it works!

[@Odima16]

@@josh_m I've been aware of STAR Voting and its theoretical benefits for a while now. There are two reasons I continue to promote RCV: 1) it is more intuitive, and 2) it has been used in a lot of real-world elections and therefore have a lot of data on how voters actually interact with it. As far as I know, STAR hasn't been used in any real-world elections. Regardless, both STAR and RCV (as well as other systems like Approval) are vastly superior over our current voting system (First Past The Post). This is why I said "changing our voting system" in general, because at this point, I'll take anything as long as it's not FPTP.

[@alex_blue5802]

I think we will also need to talk about getting pac money out of the process for smaller candidates to have a chance.

[@brendaschmidt3028]

My daughter is autistic. We had a hard time getting her diagnosed. We had healthcare providers tell us that something was going on but they were sure it wasn't autism. I wasn't advocating for autism. I just wanted to know what was going on because I knew something was wrong. But without my saying anything about autism, they were sure it was not. Then finally we went to a well know, highly respected developmental psychologist in our area and guess what she was diagnosed as autistic. They are learning more and more about the condition. I think just as many people have been autistic over time, but screening has gotten better even in very recent years. It certainly doesn't help when providers actively push you away from the diagnosis.

[@thelostforager]

So the massive rise in peanut allergies is just acceptance too?

[@morjonyr]

Thank you for being there for her! Women and girls continue to be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, but it’s starting to get better as practitioners are becoming more educated on how autism and ADHD can manifest differently in AFAB patients.

[@zachcarder8681]

And why do you think the medical establishment is so hyper defensive about this diagnosis?

[@ClonedGamer001]

I've heard numerous similar stories (and am an example of one myself, having been falsely diagnosed three times). It seems like doctors really don't like diagnosing complex illnesses and would rather go for easily explained and well-understood ones.

[@cc1k435]

I have seen people not getting diagnosed when they are already familiar to the practitioner who initially decides that's not what it is. Maybe it skews the data and colors things differently somehow? 🤷‍♀️

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

RFK jr describing his time in NYC like he lives in the Seinfeld apartment with a new serial killer popping by every hour.

[@johnassal5838]

I kinda think he does

[@lynnpehrson8826]

Seinfeld would be one of them too

[@raycearcher5794]

Harvy Weinstein would be the Newman analog in this scenario I assume

[@buttertandoorichicken]

RFK was the real crazy Joe davola

[@PravinDahal]

As a politician from his background, he would have met 10s of 1000s of people. Of course he would have met the most popular ones.

[@tomland2544]

The worm in RFK's brain died of starvation.

[@CL-lo4wd]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheCombatCameraGuy]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kateperkins425]

Yes! Ranked Choice Voting is the way to go!

[@splodgen]

and the undemocratic electoral college, the power of low population states in the senate, big money influence in congress and the unelected supreme court. Democracy in the USA, yes that would be a good idea.

[@roboliver623]

My son, James, died from the same thing as Braden back in December of 2023. You should see the filth people have written about his death in the comment sections. I can feel every single ounce of his parents’ pain. I wish I could talk to them.

[@girlygal098]

I'm so sorry you lost your child. I wish I could hug you. 😭

[@hisomeonetrackingmuch1309]

I'm so sorry you can no longer hug your baby. My heart breaks for you

[@lucashuckeby1345]

So sorry 😞

[@limari95]

I'm so sorry. I could never imagine how much pain you must be feeling, but I hope you find peace.

[@eisande6237]

So sorry 😞

[@manospondylus]

I have been so badly burned by celebrities oddly foreshadowing their misdeeds that I am dreading a day where it is revealed that John really *did* do something to a horse.

[@RHCole]

Well the horse never complained

[@smears6039]

It’s not SA if it’s a horse -John Oliver 😂

[@thomasbraeking6225]

It was a talking horse. That gelding was BEGGING to be stump-trained!

[@PlanetBongoSan]

He's never claimed to be a stable genius tho

[@carolyntalbot947]

Yes, but what was the horse wearing?

[@Nerdodivergent]

So I have Autism. I was diagnosed in 2014, and it’s something that impacts every aspect of my life. I also have spent a great deal of time working with other people with Autism, including the kind of adults that RFK Jr is describing on that podcast. And they are some of my favorite people I have ever worked with. There are behavior issues and difficulties with self care and there are times when I would get very frustrated with it all. But those guys were, and still are, some of the most genuine, fun, kind hearted, and passionate people I have ever met. And I hope one day RFK Jr gets the privilege of meeting some of these guys. Just so he can see not only how wrong all his ideas of what Autism is, but so he can also see how much of a jackass he is.

[@susanfox-mx3nv]

The young man who talked about old men with train sets was brilliant.

[@Mpangele]

The neurologist not having enough time to go through all worm holes reference was brutal 😂

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

I’m confused as to why he speaks and sounds like my 102yr old grandmother?

[@GCLU]

@@yourlifeisagreatstory As said, spasmodic dysphonia. Short explanation- his throat muscles move the wrong way

[@debbieknight8901]

I burst out laughing!

[@waynelynch1]

Yea, crowd was a bit slow on the uptake too

[@JonathanB138]

​​@@yourlifeisagreatstoryHe is speaking like he has conjured a dead person thrown in Boston Harbor. LOL

[@judyshoaf448]

I am 73; I grew up playing at the feet of my "retarded" uncle (born in 1924) who had a tiny vocabulary and squeaky voice, spent most of his time rocking back and forth and humming, and could tear the daily newspaper into the most perfect little squares. In my 30s I finally learned the word "autistic" which described him so perfectly (since then its meaning has expanded and now I have a grandchild who is "on the autistic spectrum" and does musical theater). I wonder if RFK jr. ever got to meet his aunt Rosemary, whom the family had lobotomized (when I was a kid, word was that Rosemary, too, was "retarded."

[@PamelaBowsArt]

Read her biography that came out a few years ago! She for sure was potentially autistic, she worked as an educator and her father lobotomized her because she was interested in dating, and then no one in her family visited her for 30-ish years until her father died. Thanks for bringing her up- the Kennedys get all this mis-directed congratulations for disability rights when they abused their own disabled family member. The stuff they do is out of guilt and still based in ‘being the best’ which is weird af.

[@radschele1815]

He propably don't see any people with autism his age because they are incarcerated. Or they were put in mental asylums. He's an ableist poS. Besides everything else.

[@cathykrueger4899]

Before her lobotomy Rosemary Kennedy was very high functioning. The procedure rendered her profoundly disabled and dependent on others for care. And then she was hidden away. This reminds of Trump’s disdain for the disabled. They just don’t do anything for the family image so they are dispensed with. Her story is one of the most tragic I have ever read.

[@paulinelarson465]

Joe Kennedy Sr. had his daughter lobotomized because he was a wealthy, famous Catholic man. He was an ambassador and bothered by her unrestrained public behavior. She was partyng and encouraging multiple men. The " inventor" of the procedure assured him that this treatment would make her acceptable. After the lobotomy, he placed her in a mental institution to hide her condition. Her siblings were not to see her and were unaware of her condition or of her ĺocation. They became advocates for mental health and disabilities AFTER his death when they had found and reconnected with Rosemary.​@PamelaBowsArt

[@SuperJcoleFan]

I wish interviewers ask RFK Jr about this more than his covid record

[@terr777]

I'm of similar age, the reason we didn't meet these people is that they weren't mainstreamed into school back then. They were more likely institionalized...THAT you should certainly know as a Kennedy.

[@SuprousOxide]

"The Kennedys are royalty in this country because they do the right thing" Since when has "doing the right thing" been a characteristic of royalty?

[@northernfella2737]

Wasn't their political dynasty built on the foundation of a criminal enterprise?

[@Jonnybravo589]

Are you saying JFK and Robert Kennedy were bad? Besides the grandfather the family has been deemed royalty for their merit. Teddy Rosevelt son won a Medal of Honor on Dday and the Rosevelt’s are royalty.

[@lauramcmillan9592]

They’re not saying Kennedys were/are bad, they’re saying actual literal royalty are known for doing horrible things all the time.

[@SuprousOxide]

@@Jonnybravo589 JFK, Robert Kennedy and Jackie were very popular in their day. Some people might have thought of the Kennedys as royalty back then, but myself I don't see them that way (JFK and RFK were dead before I was born, though, so I wasn't exposed to their charisma. I was aware of Jackie but had no more interest in her than I did Princess Di) Never heard Roosevelt's son called royalty. But "doing the right thing" is not how you become royalty, or stay royalty. Actual royalty has a long history of doing horrible things. Metaphoric royalty like JFK is more a matter of popularity, and lots of horrible people become popular. (And JFK had plenty of sins on his hands, no he didn't always do the right thing)

[@SuprousOxide]

JFK Jr seems to have caught some of that royalty vibe before his death, but not because of anything he did. Teddy, while popular enough to hold a Senate seat, was a mess. RFK Jr. I wasn't aware existed before this year. He's coasting on his father's and uncle's popularity, not his actions.

[@decoygamer142]

Having heard the backstory of RFK Jr. on Behind the Bastards and then seeing a chance to "Win a Day of Falcontry with RFK Jr" feels like a threat

[@pelzebub6664]

Especially if you are a cop

[@TBJ1118]

A fellow bastardist!

[@fatmatrow]

Hell yes, nice to see another BTB man of culture

[@googlechicken]

Ya but it’s Cheryl Hines too so it’s worth the risk

[@iantalmadge3410]

Falcons can smell a cop from a 100 yards 😂

[@laalaa99stl]

John, you _need_ to sell that action figure and donate the proceeds to a fun charity!

[@CX103]

How about the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand?

[@ClonedGamer001]

I bet if we started a petition they'd actually do it

[@brianwade879]

As a Scotsman, I love this English gentleman, John Oliver ! John, you're a United States treasure, my man ! Much love dude 😎

[@Sigil_Firebrand]

Listen, as a person with a model train collection. We know we're a little on the spectrum, but the trains bring us happiness and hurt no one, they're a healthy coping mechanism. Also holy crap I can't believe I'd not heard about MOST of this story.

[@Lleanlleawrg]

You still haven't. There's hours of content on how wild his life's been. From his childhood 'pranks' of dosing his brother with hallucinogens and pretending to die in front of him, to his storing roadkill in peoples fridges, to using a falcon to threaten a cop, to his heart of darkness adventure in africa. There's lots more too.

[@gingerfli]

There is nothing wrong with a model train collection no matter how big or small. The rest of us, neurodivergent or not, really enjoy them.

[@tigrrtom]

HO and S-Gauge scale collector, myself. The American Flyer S-Gauge was originally my father's, and I've just kept adding to it. The HO goes with my Aurora slot cars. I need a basement the size of Yankee Stadium if I ever wanted to set everything up...

[@OllamhDrab]

Hee, well, the guy's point wasn't that it's bad, just that no one noticed a lot of the people now termed 'spectrum.'

[@scribblydoodle2924]

point being, being on the spectrum is often subtle and hard to determine. I know a man who seemed absolutely brilliant in his job and yet, was socially a little off, on the 'spectrum'. Kennedy just showed his total lack of understanding of autism.

[@clararose1795]

I used to work with adults with disabilities, and I had more than a couple clients with ”full blown autism” (🙄🙄🙄). One was not only nonverbal, but also blind. You know why those people weren’t “toilet trained” and needed help with all aspects of daily life? It wasn’t their autism. It’s because they were abandoned at mental hospitals when they were 4 years old, as was standard practice back then. For the younger ones, they were either “homeschooled” (aka hidden from society) or stuck in special ed classes that weren’t much better. They never got a real education, they were never encouraged to be more independent, and no one ever made an effort to learn to communicate in THEIR language. Autism is not the problem, the way society treats it is.

[@Smokie_666]

Well said!

[@only1synergy]

Which I have my high functioning kiddo in general Ed and they have a mandate to provide services for him under ADA paid by state. I believe certain kiddos at certain levels can't be in general Ed for most education limits but there are plenty times in the day they should be with other kids not just special education. We need a balance. We do have kiddos that emotional are too disruptive to be in or near general Ed and need special care outside in special schools for them. There needs to be balance but to get them as far as we can to have some to full independence.

[@SpecialBlanket]

Just to clarify for readers, there is no connection between autism and blindness.

[@estellarivera5022]

Mr. Kennedy is a WACKADOODLE.!

[@xsw882]

You may have met adults with full blown autism because you worked with adults with disability, its unclear 🤔 you did not refute RFK Jr's point

[@InvisiblerApple]

There's also the much bleaker reason autism is underrepresented in old people: they're dead. It's exactly like with elder trans people. They lived in an even harsher time where it was socially acceptable to react horribly to them just existing. A lot of people didn't survive that.

[@jonathangorman978]

Or more often stayed deeply closeted

[@jimmyjohns-ro3sp]

there's dumb and then there is just plain stupid and then there are folks like you, who can't even buy a clue

[@pugachevskobra5636]

That part. ✅

[@evanbarnes9984]

My uncle is very autistic, and my dad is also on the spectrum but more mildly. They're in their 70s, and you're not wrong. They had a hard time of it as kids. The 1950s and 60s were not a good time for the neurodivergent kids.

[@Drouge87]

Being gay wasn't invented in the 90s. Being gay was /survivable/ in the 90s. Look up the San Francisco Gay Men's Choir AIDS photo if you want a startling reality check vis a vis. the AIDS crisis. Autism isn't new and it's not spiking. We simply find it more often and don't literally lobotomize or hide people who have it. I'm not even 30. These aren't hidden facts, they're simply ignorable ones. I truly believe that we're going to see autism in 20 years the same way we see homosexuality now. You can't control it, you can't pray or diagnose it away. You can simply decide as a person to realize people are different and adjust your thinking to accommodate them, or you can get fucked.

[@threeonamatchventura]

My Autistic son was Valedictorian at his high school. It wasn’t a participation mercy trophy either. A very competitive field and Kennedy would say such terrible things about him. I guess that’s what a brain worm is all about.

[@misecarp]

Lactose Quarterly should be a magazine... the great bane of my life is having to get my ice cream and cheese news from two different locations.

[@Cerberus4444]

seems like gun laws are not the only difference between the usa and switzerland. our dairy lobby group swissmilk publishes a magazine called "swissmilk family".

[@impishlyit9780]

@@Cerberus4444 I know this was a joke, but there are a *lot* of differences between the USA and Switzerland.

[@Cerberus4444]

@@impishlyit9780 agreed, not only considering gun laws and dairy magazines

[@FrancesLChavez]

Hilarious 😂

[@LaughterOnWater]

John, you’re the first person with a platform to advocate for ranked choice. _Thank you._ I hope more people get on board.

[@CK-iw5bn]

He just lost the intelligent viewers who are fed up with corporate sponsored comics spewing misinformation so they can keep their million dollar paycheck. Oliver is dangerous. Listen to RFK in full length interviews

[@victorsalazar445]

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is flawed. We need something better like STAR Voting instead. Please look it up.

[@francisseidel8014]

He can discuss it because he knows the duopoly, who write his paychecks, will NEVER allow it to happen. It's like the Democrats claiming to now wanting to codify Rowe when the failed to do so for decades. Don't even get me started on the money spent on the military industrial complex by both parties.

[@LaughterOnWater]

@@victorsalazar445 I have. However, anything is better than plurality. I agree that star voting is even more fair than ranked choice, but I'm just amazed that someone this popular is promoting any voting method that avoids a horror win scenario. At this point, I'll take anything fairer, so long as it's not plurality.

[@victorsalazar445]

@@LaughterOnWater RCV retains the spoiler effect and split voting. We must move to a system that moves away from the two party system. STAR Voting does this and more.

[@kaileebailee23]

As other commenters have said, unfortunately a lot of older autistic people were discriminated and neglected. There are also a ton of older autistic people who are living out their lives just because they learned how to generally blend in. I just wanted to add as well, as an autistic person, we do not want a cure. We want accommodations and understanding. Autism is not a life threatening disease it is a neurodevelopmental disorder and it's only through individual and systematic failures that we cannot live full and happy lives.

[@MrShanester117]

Most people now claiming to be autistic are just kind of weird and it’s hipper to be neural divergent then kind of weird. That or they are just developmentally disabled and it’s hipper to be autistic then developmentally disabled

[@missoats8731]

I wouldn't even call it a disorder. There's nothing inherently "not working" about it. It's just working in a different way and other people can't handle that.

[@Jalharad]

"We want accommodations and understanding." - So much this. If the one thing people could do is don't jump to conclusions. Speak with us.

[@felixwallace5041]

​@MrShanester117 consider that neurodiversity has a broad spectrum - and many people are guilty of self-diagnosing when literature is limited. Autism does affect learning and development, I've learned to mask mine but it doesn't help my learning, what helped was people who understand. Yes it's all in my head, in my brain, which is a part of my body; it took 30 years to get a diagnosis, and I'm one of the lucky few to get an adult diagnosis. Nothing wrong with people claiming their hidden disability out loud, very few people are claiming to be disabled because it's "hip"

[@kaileebailee23]

@@MrShanester117 please do some research before commenting on this. Autism is "more common" because we understand it better. I also don't really know what the difference is between autism and a developmental disability. Autism is a developmental disability.

[@Calabrin1]

This is a vital piece by Oliver even without the specific tie to RFK Jr. When he talks about Kennedy ‘confidently making false assertions’ - that’s a major danger within our society. People will believe abjectly false statements simply because the source said them with confidence. “It must be true! He sounded like he knew what he was talking about!”

[@Eric-qk3bk]

"Facebook is the love child of Jerry Springer and Dr. Phil!" How I replied to the question from my mother asking me why i'm not on Facebook

[@samraduns7756]

Yeah, I'm gonna steal this. Thanks, mate. The love child of Jerry Springer and Dr. Phil and molested by Dr. Oz.

[@amberbanuelos7053]

Thank you for defending the autistic community. I have an autistic daughter and hearing Jr say autistic people’s brains are “gone” made me see red. There is NOTHING wrong with autistic people, but there’s something very wrong with those who vilify them.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

100%. As someone with autism, seeing him cover that was absolutely amazing, and it was a welcome correction to the one issue I had with his prior segment on vaccines.

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

He didn't vilify them he insulted them. It's not better but it is different.

[@amandaj4566]

RFK jr is one of the only people fighting for people with autism. He wants to know WHY 1 in 35 kids are born today with autism. It is not genetic; something is causing it (and the scientific community agrees). Wouldn't you like to know what it is and put a stop to it? VOTE RFK Jr. 2024!

[@amberbanuelos7053]

@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_ I agree, and as a mom, I’m so sorry you’ve got to deal with idiots like Jr. You are awesome as you are, don’t ever let anyone tell or make you feel otherwise. I’m still seeing red from that statement; autistic people do have brains, whole brains that function beautifully, which is more than we can say for Jr.

[@jayander7705]

The need to find what causes autism should be much more important to a parent of an autistic child than saying “brain gone.” The tax payer is getting tired of financing for a LIFETIME the autism person from birth to death and all those workers who care for them! Get focused on things other than your hurt feelings.

[@deniseharper4373]

I appreciate the pieces on RFK and Trump. I like to look at many sources for balanced information. I would also like John to do an honest piece on Kamala Harris.

[@wullahblack6452]

Id love to see it but I doubt he will.

[@nackymud8840]

To be fair, she doesn't dump roadkill in Central Park or pay off porn stars, which makes them objectively, better TV.

[@karenhill2174]

No chance he is owned the the DNC and they are owned by the bankers

[@charliewise5195]

Never gonna happen 😂

[@JR-jn8jp]

​@@nackymud8840instead she laughs about locking up parents and fights court orders to release exculpatory evidence...you know showing locked up people are innocent. Let's not forget keeping people beyond their prison term to use as labor. Disgusting.

[@BioDieselEstate]

Biggest problem with Jr is that he is not a scientist. He singularly fails to understand scientific method and detail. Jr is a lawyer who is trained to argue. To exploit any avenue in which he can obfuscate and inveigled and, that is exactly what Jr does.

[@anodyne57]

This.

[@_punkles]

I love how RFK just glosses over how strict Swiss gun restriction laws are.

[@4umy]

They have the 2nd most heavily armed population behind the USA. Lower homicide rate than other nation in Europe that have even stricter gun control.

[@schurch1569]

And that most people with guns here are technically civilians, but have their weapons due to serving in the military

[@Stavroization]

​@@schurch1569exactly meaning they are all taught proper gun safety and overall have a much healthier view of guns and what they are for

[@4umy]

@@Stavroization My original comment was censored so I'll try again but it's important to note that the Swiss are the most heavily armed population in Europe. Behind only the US. However, they have a lower homicide rate than other nations in Europe that have even stricter gun control...

[@therealjk2189]

I'm from Switzerland and I am shocked by RFKs comparison. You cant compare Swiss gun law to American gun law. You just can't.

[@Daniel-Strain]

Yes, there is a definitive link between ranked choice voting and the viability of more than one party.

[@rebekahlorraine6920]

You don’t see many adults “with autism” because we learn to mask. Look up masking. Autism is not a spectrum like a line, it’s more a spectrum like a pie chart. When I was younger, I was the head banging kid. I needed speech therapy. I struggled to socialize. I did poorly in elementary school. I’m an adult now. I graduated university with honors and hold down a normal job. I didn’t get “cured,” I just learned to fake it a little better. I have less outwardly noticeable stims. I still come off as “weird” to people who spend a significant amount of time with me. They have proven a genetic component to autism, there is no causing or curing it, autism is a core part of that human.

[@mayatara1980]

Came here to say that! Autism tends to become more "moderate" in many autistic adults. I know many cases of autistic people who were non-verbal as kids, had no eye contact, had constant meltdowns and as adults they almost can pass as neurotypicals in their daily live, because we learn to mask but also to control some of our responses and behaviors in public or avoid the triggers in the environment that makes us explode or stim, so it can almost seem like we are no longer autistic. This dude just has no idea what he is talking about and clearly doesn't know the autistic community or heard their testimonies!

[@Meriela144]

Thank you for putting this out there. I have adult twins on the spectrum and I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult and the spectrum is so broad. I realized after researching for a book that I had been masking and stimming my whole life, and didn’t realize it. There are people who will always think I’m just “weird” I prefer multidimensional

[@corneliusdinkmeyer2190]

I knew it!!!! We ALL have some “autism”!

[@james_subosits]

​@@corneliusdinkmeyer2190We don't all have it. There are traits that people can have in common with it, but that doesn't mean you have it.

[@asamlos]

I want that last clause in neon lights in times square tbh

[@Flemrora]

Thank you for touching on his dehumanization of autistic folks and the harm of autism being treated by such a prolific figure as being worse than things like polio. I know he has become a menace for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons, but the way he and his followers talked about this stuff still stands out to me as one of the really big early warnings we got about him.

[@meanmutton]

"He's American Royalty" and "He's anti-establishment". Brilliant!

[@mcgrudo]

The only thing the Kennedys and the Windsors have in common is their most publicly favoured family members were assassinated

[@Geoffreydarcy-pv4mq]

He's already worm food.

[@anjetto1]

Americans are just like that

[@mavenskeep]

​@@Geoffreydarcy-pv4mq millions of people have parasites and don't even know it's, his came from either touring hog agricultural farms he was suing, or from his travels in India. You can parasites eating undercooked pork and sushi, fun facts. No one ever tests for them, doctors never tell us to check for them bc the meat industry would be to blame. he found the dead worm spot in a CT scan checking for a brain tumor bc it runs in his family.

[@mavenskeep]

Sounds super clever huh? Ignoring the fact that he has sued environmental polluters AND corrupt govt agencies for FORTY years 🤦🏻‍♀️he's the ultimate anti establishment politician and the peanut gallery is giggling in ignorance.

[@ButteredToits-]

"Ive had a very rambunctious youth" i didn't know Alex from A Clockwork Orange was running for president

[@GothamThotSlayer]

😂😂😂

[@furrry6056]

Viddy well little brother. Viddy well.

[@ryanaul]

@@furrry6056 Ah you beat me to it

[@colleenclements5715]

Good one 👍

[@identifying.as.asovereignhuman]

You'd vote for him if the mainstream media wanted you to.

[@mizzle8]

So strange how people who love saying “if somebody shows me a fact that I’m wrong, I will change my opinion” never seem to encounter such facts.

[@GreenTea3699]

Except Kennedy is one of the most feared environmental attorneys and he deals with data, studies and facts

[@fuzzydunlop365]

The people that trash him are too scared to have him on for a discussion.

[@GreenTea3699]

@@fuzzydunlop365 exactly

[@edvonblue]

Have you ever been wrong about something and admitted it? If so, what was it?

[@normaforsyth7950]

​​@@edvonblueaccusing my grandson of stealing. :) Also that Scooby was the character who said "Ruh-roh" first, not Astro. My argument was that it had to be Scooby bc the Jetsons came out after Scooby. Reality: Jetsons came out in '62 and Scooby came out in '69. 😕

[@joegehlert8160]

I've heard greatness skips a generation.

[@dstinnettmusic]

“I never met anyone my age with full blown autism” Ask him what happened to his Aunt Rosemary….and then maybe he will make a connection of what happened to the people his age…. Neurodivergent people have been marginalized and discriminated against for all of human history and are one of the only groups that everyone seems to think it is okay to treat that way….

[@SuitedPup]

His more general point that people these days, and children, are in far poorer health than generations ago - is valid and uncontested. He argues that this is due in large part to our environment, and toxic food supply, among other things. He’s correct. Edit: since this has gotten a bit contentious, I should have said that “rates of chronic disease incidences are on the rise - and that is uncontested”. And, it’s not simply due to the improved diagnoses, nor people living longer. This is a recent trend the last couple decades, where neither of those factors changed much. Look it up. People are getting sick more than ever. This is due in large part to our toxic food supply, and deteriorating environment, among plenty other factors. Addressing this is central to Kennedy’s campaign. This is something we should all be able to get behind.

[@LogOffAlready]

​@SuitedPup where does he argue this point? I looked up the speech for myself, and I didn't hear that. Maybe I missed it?

[@RHCole]

​@@SuitedPup And the fact that he also pushes conspiracy theories renders anything else he is pushing irrelevant. The man is unfit to be President, period

[@maryb.5668]

@@SuitedPup Children in this generation are in "poorer health" because they get diagnosed. Similar to his Aunt Rosemary- many Autistic people were simply sent to mental hospitals that killed them or damaged them even more.

[@SuitedPup]

@@LogOffAlready really? It’s about all he talks about. Not surprised, cause media only covers brain worms and dead bears. I don’t think I can post links without my comment getting deleted. Just search “Kennedy chronic disease” and watch any of the shorter videos. Longer videos he’ll talk about the food supply and environment and how that’s in part leading to our nation’s deteriorating health - these are things he’s been fighting for his entire professional career.

[@arseniotucker5960]

The podcast host “you also meet good people right” 😂😂😂

[@JimnyVR5]

"the podcast host" :)

[@WhitakerMilliner]

This feels like a good time to shout out Hbomberguy's excellent video about vaccines and autism. It gets to the root of where the panic started and how it spread. The video is fascinating, funny, and can give you good points to get your anti-vax friends and family to hopefully see the light. Cannot recommend it enough.

[@HolyChaoMu]

Okay, and you should google "pharma lawsuit damages payouts" so you know how many people the pharma industry has killed. The US vaccine damages program has paid out more than 3 billion dollars since the 90s BTW. What did they pay that money out for you think, because someone's arm hurt after a vaccine?

[@zachcarder8681]

@@WhitakerMilliner what about those that aren't anti vax but just want safe vaccines and for manufacturers to be able to be sued?

[@iheartbusterk82]

@@zachcarder8681All of the vaccines that are given to children have literal decades of safety data. Most other vaccines have a huge deal of safety data too and it’s not like they don’t continue to monitor safety after vaccines are rolled out. As for the vaccines injury fund versus being able to sue boils down to pharma companies greed and not safety. Vaccines are perhaps second only to modern water treatment and pasteurization in terms of public health victories.

[@markrobinowitz8473]

@@zachcarder8681 It's a fake claim. Vaccines are tested. Manufacturers are sued (it's a big part of what RFK Junior does with his time). But for those who are anti-vax, no amount of testing and followup will be enough to get them to drop their objections. They're as disingenuous as Donold Trump.

[@psychegoddessoflight9358]

​@@zachcarder8681 Don't question The Science; you're helping to fuel dangerous anti intellectualism. All vaccines are 100% safe & effective for 100% of the human population. Why should multibillion dollar pharmaceutical companies be held liable for ostensible (or even demonstrable) harm? It's totally not weird that "vaccine courts" exist. Or that the CDC changed the literal definition of "vaccine" in September 2021 as an ad hoc response to their failure to inhibit transmission of THE virus (nor the Congressional hearings in which ("this segment brought to you by") Pfizer execs admitted to not having tested for transmission inhibition before promising the entire population of Earth they would stop the...well, you know. It's all NORMAL, and who do you think you are to ask questions or demand safety?? Vaccines could _never_ be used as a Trojan horse (and pay no mind to the meaningless coinkydink of Trojans & _prophylactics_ as a potential foreshadowing; see: Dr Rudolf Steiner).

[@kandy4star]

I just discovered John Oliver and I’m really happy to be here… thanks for saying things the way you do, being blunt & not beating around the bush!

[@Anne--Marie]

He has so many great videos!

[@texasnyghtmare]

He doesn’t talk about Biden, Obama, Pelosi, Harris, etc. the man is paid for what he puts on

[@silentstorm5757]

@@texasnyghtmare I agree he could talk more about left-wing politicians, but there are definitely times where he has voiced critique about them, especially about some of Obama's actions - see the entire episode 'Drones'. Also, 'the man is paid for what he puts on'... Do you have evidence for that? He ridicules HBO, the company he works for, every other episode.

[@Matt-kt9nm]

​@@texasnyghtmareHe joined the ranks of the propaganda machine.

[@janetglover999]

😊

[@Quite_Rob]

They're 2 people with a type of autism that work at our local grocery store as baggers. One is in his 40's, and the other is in his 60's. Awesome gentlemen that have great work ethic. Edit: They're and ethic. Sorry for the inconvenience of grammatical errors. I didn't mean to cause distress to those offended. If you see more errors, please reply so I can correct them for your convenience. Thank you.

[@LizChurchill-p8w]

Not every mental illness is autism.

[@manurocker1]

There are*. Ethic*

[@DaleHartley]

@@manurocker1 Get help... Being a pendant is not classified as OCD.

[@vinceswaney6196]

​@@manurocker1 loser

[@mikeygraves16]

​@@manurocker1 Maybe English isn't their first language 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@dreyfalex]

Haha, grandparents with train sets!!! Nailed my father!!! Not only that, he wouldn’t let his kids play with it!

[@Cuptial-ev9tb]

Ironically, though, that was more demeaning of autistic people than anything RFK said in that clip, because it’s a generalization/stereotype. I’m not actually offended by either clip, but RFK’s was just describing symptoms whereas the other autistic guy was using autism as an insult.

[@xSmittyxCorex]

@@Cuptial-ev9tb…what? Only if you assume there’s something wrong with being into trains…? Why is that an insult?

[@Ryuujinv01]

@@Cuptial-ev9tb Providing an example in the form of obviously known cultural representation of undiagnosed inhabitants on the spectrum to specifically disprove rfk's claim is an insult? Weird. Why bring up being offended too? Nobody got offended, they pointed out how wrong he was and how backwards the logic is.

[@BreadyMcBased]

​@Cuptial-ev9tb Damn the autistic guy being funny is insulting other autistic people. You realize how stupid that sounds right?

[@the-chillian]

@@Ryuujinv01 It's not backward. One characteristic of autism is a tendency to hyperfocus on a particular subject of interest. It's not a stretch to suggest that many older people with such a focus are on the spectrum but undiagnosed. It's true that many such people will also *not* be on the spectrum, but that wasn't the point. Hell, I'm probably on the spectrum myself, but because I did well academically I was just put down as weird for the rest of my behavior, with no diagnosis even attempted. It just wasn't a thing in the early 70s.

[@konstellashon1364]

FYI - the guy who first made the claim that the MMR vaccine caused Autism was at the same time trying to patent a replacement vaccine for measles. Former-doctor Andrew Wakefield. After getting called out and stripped of his license, he doubled down against all vaccines to grift in the alternative medicine field.

[@katalina256]

I highly recommend the HBomberGuy video about him called "Vaccines: a measured response". Andrew Wakefield is a truly terrible human being who deserves a deep dive into all the horrible things he did and is responsible for. He is deserving of everyone knowing what he did. He's a lying, child abusing conman who wants your money.

[@birgitschreiber6491]

For anyone how also wants to get more information on this ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancet_MMR_autism_fraud

[@JerinP]

Yup, complete fraudster. And his malfeasance continues to due real harm to parents & kids.

[@jenniferterry6775]

If you actually knew about Wakefield's work, beyond "well, I heard...", you would know he never actually made any diffinitive statement such as "MMR causes autism". He found a correlation between kids with gut disbiosis and autism and the onset seemed to also correlate with time of vaccination. He merely said that what he noticed suggested a need for further research. Who could be against further research? Other than entities who would lose all credibility and compliance if their products actually received the same scrutiny as any other drug, I mean.

[@Ash-ow5yc]

@@jenniferterry6775conspiracy theorist anti vaxxer dumbassery woo woo alert wee woo wee woo wee woo

[@howarddavidiii6171]

Thank you for bringing these facts to light. People are far too easily swayed by the ones they believe are educated or of influence.

[@davidt3956]

That last bit about Mango Mussolini possibly giving him an HHS cabinet position is the most scary part.

[@subobing3551]

He’s trying to get him to drop out so he can get more votes so he doesn’t have to go to prison!

[@marcilait8806]

No $#!+

[@jben5259]

He’s gaining with democrat voters. This is why the media, which is an arm of the DNC, is going out of its way to smear Kennedy with the feeble hit jobs like Oliver just performed. Kennedy is gobbling up Harris voters. Anyone outside of tv land knows this. So they gotta dagger Kennedy quickly. It’s not gonna work, Democrat voters in the know, know Kennedy is the only one who can beat Trump and they are fleeing the anointed, not elected, Queen Harris in droves.

[@MrJmasfca]

Scarier than our current HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra? Do you not know, that Sec. Becerra has been updating U.S. gov language on all documents to reflect the Democratic Party's adoption of Critical Queer Theory which is the basis for the trans movement? Xavier Becerra, for example has been changing terms such as, breast-feeding to chest-feeding; removing the gender specific titles Mother and Father from official U.S. document language and usage, to reflect what he says to be our new understanding that gender is a construct with endless possibilities. Bc sex, as determined scientifically by XY (male) XX (female) chromosomes has been superseded. So, while you're frightened by the prospect of a Sec. RFKJr- bc, SCIENCE!- you approve of and support the science-free trans movement where a vagina is now a "front-hole"?? Got it.

[@u_wind_sprint4393]

Those final Poppers and worms jokes elicited laughs from deep within that I'm not sure weren't actually sobs of tears 😭

[@b14ker14]

Ya but those aren't poppers lmao what are you redacted af

[@ttrestle]

17:29 - Yeah, so that bear joke really aged well here. 🐻 😂

[@JordannEdwards]

🤣 Yeah, very well, here. Lol

[@RobertLouisMoore]

Crazy

[@ruthslone2992]

Brilliant takedown! Thanks.👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🌊🌊🌊🌊🫶🏼🇺🇸🗳️💙

[@nathanpeterson1783]

I'd love to hear the conversation that concluded with "Wheelbarrow. Let's just go with that one"

[@RHCole]

It probably went along the lines of "what's the most absurd position?" and every single writer saying "wheelbarrow". No one does wheelbarrow outside of adult films and tantric hipsters. No one.

[@London755]

I'm sure there was exhaustive research from John and his staff.

[@tuesdaypatience]

Yeah, Little Bobby…I’m 50 and didn’t know a lot of people with autism when I was a kid…cuz we put children with differences into self contained classrooms, far far away from the rest of the students. NOW I know plenty of people my age who are on the spectrum and am now aware of older family members who were almost certainly on the spectrum…they just seemed a bit different back then.

[@mavenskeep]

And yet RFK JR knows a famous toxicologist who served as an expert witness is many of his anti-corruption legal cases who says that there was an explosion of toxicity related health problems starting around 1989 related to regulation changes in 1986. There are experts on both sides of many arguments, but the "it's all a conspiracy theory" side of the arguments has the side of polluters and corrupt agencies with deep pockets. RFK Jr talks at length about all of this stuff, you really aren't formulating a fair opinion of this brave man unless you hear his stance on these things. He's being smeared in the media, and unfortunately, even by John Oliver...

[@Solafar_VB]

Swiss guy here to debunk his gun claim: yes we have lots of guns. We dont get ammunition, its nearly impossible to get it, which explains how there is virtually no gun crime in switzerland.

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

Now that is ironically fucking hilarious. No wonder you guys are neutral. You couldn't fight if you wanted to.

[@ColtraneTaylor]

Now explain the logic behind that. Do you have, say, gas stoves but no matches?

[@BlackPenguins17]

What do you use the guns for then? As collectables?

[@shepshape2585]

Plus, I believe it's mandatory to serve in the military there, which trains you how to use weapons properly. Also, you don't have the same society we have here in the States. We're a very violent society, and the rhetoric that gets spewed on television creates even more violence and hatred.

[@letsjustgetjaked]

@@ColtraneTaylor everyone adult there serves in the military. There is ammo but its owned by the military. Every adult is a functioning member of the militia.

[@Renastarsong]

RFK: I want vaccines to be tested to the same standard as other medicines! Me: So... less....?

[@cst5819]

When he says he has skeletons in his closet, I'm thinking they may be real.

[@cranjismcbasketball1638]

At the very least, there's a bear skeleton in there

[@claudetteholloway1126]

So many skeletons, that he needs a walk- in closet...

[@roryoconnor8959]

Have you ever done anything wrong in your life?

[@TheRealEclipse1]

@@roryoconnor8959 That's not a response. Have you ever kept a dead bear in the back of your car, go about your day, have a nice dinner, then forget that you have to dump a body at a park later? Don't ever use that response again. It's completely lazy and stupid.

[@Silburific]

​@@roryoconnor8959you're the kind of person who sees a shoplifter and a rapist and says "both of these people are equally bad", aren't you?

[@eliasespitia4834]

“Cool.” Perfectly placed. Always.

[@Muzikrazy213]

I love knowing it's coming only a second or so into a montage.

[@goblinchaosclub]

“You have already been poisoned with the Duo Lingo owls biological uncle” was a great joke

[@greywolf7577]

I don't get this joke at all. What does the Duo Lingo owl have to do with poison? What does the biological uncle part mean?

[@mh2120]

​@@greywolf7577John is suggesting an alternate title for the show (based on the frequently depressing topics they cover), "You've Already Been Poisoned" and he's also suggesting that he himself is the biological uncle of the Duolingo Owl, based on how bird-like and pestering he is.

[@Fuckthis0341]

It was a really unfunny joke and I have bad news about your lousy sense of humor

[@kiranaun9593]

@@mh2120 I think it's also because he looks kind of like the Duolingo owl

[@thefabledfish]

My mom and her friend were anti vaxxers who were scared of adverse reactions, and scared of us developing autism. They have three kids between them- me my sister, and my mom’s friend’s child. I’ll just say this- 66% of us are autistic and 100% have ADHD. The crunchy crusade didn’t do sh*t 😂

[@rendarcrow]

Ranked choice voting is the best thing you have said this whole show

[@Zer0Blizzard]

Nah

[@jaefrmbk2k]

Agreed🎉

[@victorsalazar445]

Please look up STAR Voting. RCV is flawed.

[@Poppacap79]

My Mom (who is older than RFK) worked at a facility (in the early 90’s-2000’s) that took care of adults with disabilities. Primarily the people she assisted had cerebral palsy. There were plenty that also had autism. Saying autism didn’t exist when he was younger is ridiculous. There is less shame around it now. That’s the main difference.

[@shigellashigella]

People were also hiding children with serious disabilities, so you didn't see them in the public. Cases of so called "Asperger syndrome" (nowadays all is just autism spectrum) were living normally in the society.

[@twistysunshine]

I mean you would think he would put together that hiding people with disabilities was a thing- as his grandpa was hiding his lobotomized aunt for literal years

[@Poppacap79]

@@twistysunshine very true. That’s a sad and messed up story.

[@pnut3844able]

He never said it didn't exist lmao hahahahaha. Of COURSE y'all twist the mans words. He said you didn't see it often at all, then an explosion of it happened. There's a reason for this

[@mustang8206]

It also wasn't diagnosed as much mainly because we didn't know all the signs we know now

[@heathermarie5139]

So my cousin was one of the young men in his 20s who had heart complications from the Covid shot. It was pretty scary for him….hes a super healthy guy, runs several miles every day (has been a long distance runner since middle school), and he lives in SF, and that place has fucking hills. So chest pain came out of no where and he and his family got scared. But guess what? He talked with his doctor, he talked to a cardiologist, they concluded it was likely the vaccine. He still has been getting the boosters. Why? Because myocarditis is more likely with Covid than it is with the vaccine. He just picks the manufacturer that showed less of this side effect and keeps an eye on his health with his doctors for a few weeks after the booster. The guy is thriving.

[@rogergeyer9851]

Vaccines aren't perfect. But statistically, they're a HELL of a lot better than the disease they treat (re risks). Not that anti-vaxxers care about medical facts.

[@nadjak3410]

Yup. One of our unvacced acquaintances had covid and continued to do high intensity cardio training on his bike one week after his covid symptoms stopped. He just collapsed and fell off his bike dead because he didn't give his body and heart the proper rest it needed.

[@ab6565]

@@nadjak3410 😮😢

[@twt2718]

I’ve worried I had a heart attack from the age of 19-30. I always had a rapid pulse. Everyone in my immediate family ignored my concerns. Luckily, MY EMPLOYER cared enough to make me take a vacation, give me a bonus I didn’t earn, to seek a diagnosis. I would’ve never know that some anxiety disorders are caused by external stimuli. So I’ve been under the care of a great psychiatrist since I was 30. 6 years later… COVID-19 appears and my MAGA family BEGS me to not get vaccinated because they heard the word “myocarditis”. And they suddenly cared about my heart. I’m probably the one American, whose boss & the medical community cares more about my health than my parents. Why do these monuments of gullibility known as Trump voters, think people who “trust the experts” are the crazy ones??? THEY ARE EXPERTS!!! Unlike the majority of society!! I’m moderately educated, so I’m smart enough to realize that surgeons, physicists, economists, attorneys, etc, are vastly smarter than me in their field of expertise! The scientific method & peer reviewed journals, are a pretty good set of guardrails.

[@king_vision4085]

I’m not against vaccines and I’ve taken several. I’m against forcing people to take them or else they can’t work or leave their house

[@josephliu3484]

Thank you John Oliver for doing this segment!

[@luisisshort]

What is John on about? I have spent thousands of dollars on Lactose Quarterly subscriptions over my lifetime and they always give me the bone chilling facts, seems like John just doesn't have the calcium to stand up to the cold hard facts about Neuroglycerides. What a shame MOO!!

[@ShredAimlessly92]

Dairy gang rise up 🙌

[@subobing3551]

Ok she no idea what you are talking about. Are you lactose intolerant and get a magazine about it monthly?

[@colleendemaio]

I take it you haven't watched the video you're commenting on....

[@normaowens7569]

😂😂😂 sarcasm is great 😂😂😂

[@jeremy2875]

I grew up in Massachusetts and did volunteer work at a State Hospital. There is a long history of people with symptoms like autism being taken out of society and institutionalized in RFK's "generation". RFK even had an older sister who exhibited symptoms described as "irritable and difficult", she was lobotomized and then secretly institutionalized in Wisconsin.

[@dao8805]

Autism existed before but not at the rate it has in the last few decades; that's the issue. Why is it escalating? Same with Alzheimer's, diabetes, asthma, Turrets, food allergies and more that now affect 60% of our population. It was 6% when JFK was president and the cost of treating these chronic diseases is more than our military expenditures. It is unsustainable and inhumane that Americans are suffering and dying needlessly. That's why finding out the causes and eliminating them is the cornerstone of Kennedy's platform. Don't believe the lies on this program; listen to RFK Jr himself without the editing and cherry picking.

[@shannonmorgan4695]

@@dao8805. If you look at the way autism was understood initially, you see that it wasn’t diagnosed properly via the the DSM say 30 years ago There are more cases, but could be largely because people are now trained to accurately diagnose this condition!

[@renkuria]

What you leave out is that was normal and accepted medical practice back then, literally everyone did that back then.

[@rocksteady418]

​@@dao8805it's not that there is more of those things, it's that the understanding of those things has expanded and it's being diagnosed more often. Similarly, certain conditions went up after the ACA was passed. The ACA didn't cause illness, expansion of healthcare access increased the total diagnosis.

[@DerIchBinDa]

@@dao8805 Posting the same diatribe under every comment does not make your case look any better.

[@miguel5785]

"The duolingo owl's biological uncle" 🤣 Can they not run out of epithets? They're outdoing themselves.

[@stevejeffery3112]

Ranked choice or Preferential voting is excellent. As an Australian I fully support that message.

[@AxelQC]

RFK is a walking example of "correlation is not causation".

[@TheLikeys]

this.

[@Nitrotix1]

And he get's called "anti-vaxx" for pointing it out. Incredible to watch.

[@jmc4975]

​@@Nitrotix1 You're misunderstanding how to apply the phrase 🤣

[@Nitrotix1]

I get what the OP is saying trying to say but Kennedy is not claiming he knows what the causation is, just that there are strong correlations between a definite set of toxins that were introduced at almost the same time and an exponential rise in specific diseases. John bringing on autistic people to try and disprove this theory is counterproductive. Kennedy never said there were no autistic people before these toxins, but that it was statistically/medically much rarer to see "full blown" cases of it before. This is from someone who worked around the foundations of the Special Olympics for years and saw thousands of people who fit the criteria. He also has sued these companies and has seen how they spend millions to hide these undeniable facts for decades until they have to settle in court for billions in damages. Until it ends up in court, these things can be known but must be technically dismissed as "unproved theories". All he is suggesting is that proper studies be done for all of those things and that laws banning/restricting them be lifted. Until then, strong conclusions can't be drawn either direction, but the data can't be ignored either.

[@jmc4975]

@Nitrotix1 Proper studies are done. The point John was making was that he claims to not be "anti-vax" but convinces people not to vaccinate by explaining his misunderstanding of the evidence, people who do not know any better believe him and then refuse vaccines and get sick, we cannotdepend on people being smart enough to know better, or not to take what he says the wrong way (if we give him the benefit of the doubt). There are plenty of studies and lots of research done to show that vaccines are safer and less dangerous than the diseases/illnesses they help to protect against, and that alone is a good enough reason to get one. Pretending what goes around doesn't come around when it comes to sickness is to live in a fantasy land. Being anti-vax is the same as being anti-seatbelt for the reason that 1 person got stuck in a car because of their seatbelt, when the majority of people now walk away from traffice collisions because they wear one. It's silly to bring it up to people when it's an insignificant risk. It's like saying that you shouldnt won't change a balding tyre because the new one might get a puncture.

[@TC-by3il]

John was SEETHING during the segment about RFK jr's book and the child who died that wasn't even vaccinated. I can understand why, watching the parents was heartbreaking. What a scumbag move by the publishers.

[@AlisonNoelonline]

that wan't his book.....

[@Tyrentenir]

​​@@AlisonNoelonlineWas it written and being personally advertised on Joe Rogan by another RFK Jr?

[@heathernks8]

@@Tyrentenir When Googled, it says the book "Cause Unknown" was written by Ed Dowd. RFK Jr and Gavin de Becker (shockingly!) are both also listed as authors or backers of the book, but to be 100% factual, (as John is insisting) let's be fair. The book was authored by Ed Dowd.

[@rfwren]

@@AlisonNoelonline I thought I checked that on this clip, but you're right. He just did the forward. However, he did do the forward.

[@markrobinowitz8473]

The publisher, Skyhorse, publishes all of Junior's books plus a variety of far right kooks such as Roger Stone, Ann Coulter and others of that ilk. He's also the head of a Junior supporting Political Action Committee.

[@llamalluvv]

Alexander Rekounas is 100% correct. I didn't get my diagnosis of Autism until 2022, but I've been Autistic since I was born in 1978. My father never got diagnosed, but he most definitely met the criteria. My sister has two half brothers with Autism dx, but their dad, who is definitely Autistic, has never sought a diagnosis.

[@rocknrollstar2798]

Here after Kennedy endorsed Trump. Snake in the grass who just wanted a job.