RFK Jr. has put Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro‘s claims about recent measles-related deaths in the state into question. The US Secretary of Health and Human Services criticized their authenticity. Recently, the 72-year-old took to social media to highlight the lack of information around the news. In his post, he went as far as to describe the update as a ploy to gain political advantage.
RFK Jr. casts doubt on Josh Shapiro administration’s account of Pennsylvania measles deaths
Governor Shapiro's unseemly rush to Lancaster County to convene a national press conference and his giddy delight in announcing two measles deaths was a morose commentary on the contemporary political dialogue. The performance was a replay of the Democrats' COVID playbook:… https://t.co/LvZf3br1dB
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 26, 2026
On August 26, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aka RFK Jr., posted a rant on his X (formerly Twitter) profile. There, he went against Josh Shapiro’s announcement about two deaths in Pennsylvania from measles.
“Governor Shapiro’s unseemly rush to Lancaster County to convene a national press conference and his giddy delight in announcing two measles deaths was a morose commentary on the contemporary political dialogue,” the White House official wrote.
He added, “The announcement appears to have been premature, and the deaths may even have been altogether fabricated by one of the Governor’s hopeful staffers. The Lancaster County Coroner says that it has no record of any measles deaths.” He highlighted that State law necessitates the reporting of all measles deaths to the coroner.
RFK Jr.’s message comes after Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen broke the news about the two measles deaths via a press conference. During the announcement, Shapiro and Bogen revealed that the victims had been unvaccinated, but refrained from sharing details regarding their age or any relevant cultural preferences. The duo defended their decision by citing patient privacy concerns.
Since then, Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons also advocated for more details. He stated the need to gain clarity if the patients “died OF measles or WITH measles.” He additionally stated that the “Coroner’s office indicates that it currently has ZERO reported cases where measles is the immediate cause of death,” in an X post.
RFK Jr. concluded his message against Josh Shapiro by writing that the Governor “got his headlines. He correctly gambled that the slavish mainstream media would dutifully amplify his scolding without any effort to check his facts.”
