RFK Jr. Pressed on 'Devastating' HIV Program Cuts by Rep. Troy Carter

HIV Prevention Funding Under Scrutiny

• 🎯 Representative Troy Carter questions Secretary Kennedy regarding the department's alleged "gutting" of federal investment in HIV prevention and treatment.
• ⚠️ Carter expresses perplexity over the administration shuttering nearly every unit in the CDC's division of HIV prevention and reassigning its top HIV official.
• 📊 The CDC provides 91% of all federal funding for HIV prevention, a fact highlighted by Carter to underscore the impact of the alleged cuts.

Impact on Clinical Trials and Research

• 🔬 A report from the American Association of Medical Colleges indicates that 160 active clinical trials associated with NIH overall were terminated in 2025.
• 📈 More than one-third (38%) of these terminated trials were investigating topics related to HIV/AIDS.
• 🚫 The Adolescent Trial Network for HIV Intervention, supporting studies for teenagers and young adults, received a stop work order, shutting down research at 14 sites where seven studies were being conducted.

Secretary Kennedy's Response and Awareness

• ❓ Secretary Kennedy states that the department does not intend to cut HIV treatment, framing the actions as reassignments.
• 🤷‍♂️ When pressed about the termination of clinical trials and the stop work order at the Adolescent Trial Network, Kennedy repeatedly states he was unaware of these specific cuts.
• 🗣️ Kennedy suggests that much of the information presented by Carter is untrue or a mischaracterization, while Carter insists the cuts are real and mid-research.

HIV Vaccine Studies and Justification

• 💉 The termination of HIV vaccine studies is brought up, representing a $258 million impact.
• 🤔 Carter questions how Kennedy can justify such actions, given the long-standing efforts and funding for HIV vaccine research since 1984.
• 💔 Carter expresses personal offense at the suggestion that lives haven't been lost due to these cuts, emphasizing the ongoing suffering and loss of loved ones.

Legacy and Accountability

• 🏛️ Carter contrasts the current actions with the legacy of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who championed working Americans, justice, and dignity.
• ❓ He poses a rhetorical question about what happened to that spirit of advocacy within the administration.