Conspiracy theories aren’t just internet rabbit holes anymore — they’ve become gasoline on a fire that’s burning in real life. And unfortunately, the flames are reaching places they should never touch.
In politics today, conspiracy theories are currency. They often inspire, animate and drive the party in the Trump era. And while it might be tempting to shrug them off as fringe nonsense with little real-world consequence, reality keeps proving otherwise.
Case in point: A Georgia man recently opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer and rattling the nation’s top public health agency. According to The Associated Press, the shooter “blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal.” This wasn’t some random act of violence — it was a direct line from misinformation to tragedy.
Here’s the truth: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC as the Health and Human Services secretary, has spent years vilifying the very institution he’s now in charge of. He’s compared the agency’s vaccine work to “fascism” and “child abuse,” called it a “cesspool of corruption,” and once even likened public health decisions to “the Holocaust” — a comparison he later apologized for.
After the shooting, the CDC’s new director, Susan Monarez, reportedly convened an online all-hands meeting of the agency division that focuses on vaccines — recordings of this meeting were reviewed by MSNBC. As the leaders spoke, dozens of staffers reportedly posted messages in the meeting chat, many naming Kennedy, citing his years of spreading misinformation about vaccines and vilifying the health agencies he now leads.
Staff members described feeling like “sitting ducks,” and one reportedly wrote, “We need them to stop fanning the flames of hatred against us, stop spreading misinformation. We will not be safe until they stop their attacks against us.”
And yet, as bullets still echoed in the minds of CDC workers, Kennedy’s most visible public activity was posting fishing photos in Alaska. His official statement of support came more than 30 minutes after his fishing post — and long after the symbolism had sunk in.
As infectious disease specialist Céline Gounder put it: “The symbolism could not be clearer: Scientists, doctors, public health officials, and law enforcement officials — people whose life’s work is to protect the nation — have targets on their backs.”
If Kennedy truly believes in protecting Americans’ health, now is the moment to lower the temperature. The rhetoric he’s used in the past might score political points, but it should be clear that it’s no longer acceptable.
Conspiracy theories are not harmless. They have consequences, and this time, one of those consequences was deadly. Yes, people are solely responsible for the terrible actions they take, but leadership can make it a point not to allow conspiracy theories to run wild. Kennedy can’t undo years of inflammatory comments overnight, but he can start by speaking responsibly now. Because when words become bullets, the damage is already done.
Lindsey Granger is a News Nation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
