An ABC News host admitted the network edited statements Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made about the COVID-19 vaccine out of an exclusive interview it conducted with the longshot Democratic presidential candidate.
“We should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines,” anchor Linsey Davis said in a disclaimer when the interview aired Thursday. “We’ve used our editorial judgment in not including extended portions of that exchange in our interview.”
“Data shows that the COVID-19 vaccine has prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease,” Davis added. “He also made misleading claims about the relationship between vaccination and autism.
“Research shows that vaccines and the ingredients used in the vaccines do not cause autism, including multiple studies involving more than a million children and major medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the advocacy group Autism Speaks.”
Davis is the latest legacy media journalist to admit to editing interviews to flatter liberal viewers. Former NBC “Today” show host Katie Couric admitted to having withheld a segment of an interview with the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg that featured the Supreme Court justice calling kneeling protests during the US national anthem “a terrible thing to do.”
Couric said she made the edits to “protect” the 83-year-old Ginsburg, who she believed was “elderly and probably didn’t understand the question,” according to her memoir “Going There.”
ABC’s segment on vaccines briefly featured Kennedy’s response to past comments he made on links between vaccines and autism, before cutting to questions about the candidate’s famous political family.
The 69-year-old son of former US Attorney General and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) rose to prominence as an outspoken opponent of vaccination, to the occasional embarrassment of his fellow famous family members.
A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed that 19% of Democratic primary voters nationwide back RFK Jr.’s challenge to President Biden, whom 62% of party voters support.
Another 9% support self-help guru Marianne Williamson, who declared her intention to seek the Democratic nomination last month.
Sitting presidents are rarely challenged from within their own party, and history indicates double-digit support for an insurgent candidacy is a sign of weakness in the incumbent. In 1992, Pat Buchanan challenged President George H.W. Bush and got 22% of the Republican primary vote.
Twelve years earlier, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) managed 37% of the Democratic primary vote against President Jimmy Carter. Both chief executives were defeated in their re-election bids.
Kennedy Jr., who launched his campaign in April, told Davis during their interview that he was challenging Biden because the president’s leadership was at odds with longstanding Democratic priorities.
“I don’t believe that we should be the party of war; I don’t believe that we should be the party of Wall Street; I don’t believe that we should let neocons dictate our foreign policy, and I don’t believe in censorship,” Kennedy said. “And those are all values that are traditional Democratic Party values that this White House has departed from.”
Kennedy’s extended family have said they are unlikely to support his 2024 run, given his attacks on former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and calls for his father’s convicted assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, to be paroled by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
ABC News admitted to editing remarks by Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the news outlet pressed him on his stance on vaccines.
Journalist Linsey Davis gave a warning ahead of the interview, telling viewers that the Biden challenger peddled misinformation and disinformation about vaccines.
"RFK Jr. is one of the biggest voices pushing anti-vaccine rhetoric, regularly distributing misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, which scientific and medical experts overwhelmingly say are safe and effective based on rigorous scientific studies," she stated. "But can a Kennedy break through in 2024? Will RFK Jr.'s controversial stances limit his appeal?"
Afterward, the journalist acknowledged they edited Kennedy's remarks on vaccines.
"We should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the Covid-19 vaccines," she said. "We’ve used our editorial judgment in not including extended portions of that exchange in our interview," Davis added.
ABC backed up their fact-check by listing medical and advocacy organizations which disagreed with Kennedy's statements on vaccines.
"Data shows that the Covid-19 vaccine has prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease. He also made misleading claims about the relationship between vaccination and autism. Research shows that vaccines and the ingredients used in the vaccines do not cause autism, including multiple studies involving more than a million children and major medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the advocacy group Autism Speaks."
During the interview, Kennedy said he's been "vilified" for the past three years with "total blanket censorship" from the media.
He told ABC he was "at peace" with his choices because he was fighting very powerful voices that were trying to "silence" him.
"If you don't change my mind with facts, I'm going to stick to my guns," he said.
After Davis pressed him on his distrust of "scientific authorities" on vaccines, Kennedy argued science was always changing and that experts were divided on the issue. "No I don't trust authority. I need to see the detail. I need to see the science," he said as his comments were abruptly cut off.
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