Opening Shots in a War on Doctors

What began as a war on science has now reached your kid’s doctor.

The doctors we all rely on have now apparently joined liberals and journalists as enemies of the people. RFK, Jr., is excited about eliminating “medical tyranny” by replacing doctors with AI. Texas AG Ken Paxton is investigating the state’s pediatricians for misconduct. Medical associations are under fire.  Fanning the flames of distrust for modern medicine has real consequences. We saw that Monday when the Governor of New York was forced to declare an emergency over the spread of measles, a disease once thought to be extinct in the United States.

Paxton is at the forefront of the war on doctors. As part of his investigation, pediatricians have received document with demands like this: “The division believes that you are in possession, custody or control” of material, “involving potential misleading or deceptive acts regarding incentives associated with the administration of childhood vaccines.”  He has also implicated the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of the supposed conspiracy. This is part of what Paxton himself calls “a wide sweeping investigation into pediatric medical providers, insurance companies, vaccine manufacturers, and other entities for deceptive recommendations of childhood vaccines.”

In a similar vein, RFK Jr. accused the pediatrics group of a “pay-to-play scheme to promote commercial ambitions of AAP’s Big Pharma benefactors.” This is all because the group advises use of the traditional vaccination schedule rather than the truncated version that Kennedy and his agency now endorse.  A May 2025 report commissioned by Kennedy went after doctors as captives of groupthink and drug industry influence.  The report also went after the AMA, particularly for condemning doctors who spread health misinformation. Basically, Kennedy has never forgiven doctors for favoring vaccination.

Current attacks on the medical profession are only the latest in a process that began with attacks on medical researchers and public health leaders. Trump proposed a 40% cut in medical research in 2026.  Among the areas where he proposed substantial cuts were research on cerebral palsy, emerging diseases, and spinal bifida. Research on health disparities between different groups was slashed.

Public health has been a particular target. Under Trump, the CDC has lost a quarter of its workers. Trump has proposed eliminating its work on injuries and chronic diseases entirely.  Trump has also gone after Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been something of the public face of public health protection.  Trump stripped him of his Secret Service protection even though Fauci remains subject to serious death threats. Trump ordered that a mural that included Fauci be torn down. RFK Jr. wrote an entire book vilifying Fauci, as has Sen. Rand Paul, who has pressed for indictments of Fauci. RFK Jr. tries to link Fauci with Bill Gates, who has inexplicably become a villain for his support of public health measures.

Dr. Fauci is a distant figure  few people have met. But everyone has been to the doctor. It is profoundly disheartening that doctors now seem to be joining medical researchers and public health advocates in the gallery of conservative villains.

CDC, Centers for Disease Control, NIH funding, public health, RFK Jr., scientific research, vaccines, war on science