Democratic Senator Asks RFK When He Decided to 'Sell Out' His 'Core Values' to 'Be Given Power by President Trump'

Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan grilled RFK about changing his stance on abortion at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Health and Human Services Secretary in the Trump administration.

"You have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. The question is do you stand for that value or not? When did you decide to sell out the values you've had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?" Hassan asked RFK.

"Senator I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy, that we can't be a moral authority on this country," RFK replied.

"But that isn't what you said back in New Hampshire in 2023," Hassan quipped, referencing comments RFK made supporting the right to abortion during his presidential campaign.

RFK then doubled down on his previous statement.

"So what you're telling us, just to be clear...is that regardless of what you believe, regardless of what values you have, if President Trump tells you to do something, you're going to do it," Hassan fired back.

Hassan then questioned RFK on his comment that President Trump has asked him to investigate the safety of mifepristone, a drug that, when used in conjunction with a drug called misoprostol, can end an pregnancy with a gestation up to 10 weeks. Essentially, it is an abortion pill.

Mifepristone, which was approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago, is widely regarded as safe, a fact Hassan pointed to while asking for "about 40 studies" on the drug's safety and effectiveness to be submitted to the record.

"Without objection," RFK said in regard to Hassan's request.

RFK's comments on abortion contradict his previous position on the hotly debated subject. In a podcast last year, he said he'd support abortions up to full term, if that was the mother's choice.

However, in a video he posted to his YouTube channel soon after, RFK walked back his statement, and said "abortion should be legal up to a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter."

During his campaign, President Trump pledged to leave abortion rights up to states. However, he broke that promise last Friday, when he signed an executive order banning federal funding for abortions.