Virologist says he’s being stalked outside his home after Joe Rogan challenged him to debate RFK Jr
A virologist challenged by podcaster Joe Rogan to a debate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he was stalked outside his home, when a right-wing commentator posted a video of him confronting him.
Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, tweeted Saturday his concerns about Rogan’s interview with Kennedy, a long-running Democratic presidential nominee.
Hotez expressed concern over comments from Kennedy and Rogan about the dangers of vaccines. That caused a backlash from both sides, with some prompting Hotez to debate and others shooting Rogan.
Hotez was confronted on Sunday by Alex Rosen, a self-proclaimed “independent journalist” who works for a site called “Predator Poachers.”
Rosen, after exchanging pleasantries, asked Hotez why he didn’t want to debate Kennedy.
“Oh come on, that’s intimidating,” Hotez replied.
Dr. Peter Hotez, a virologist who was challenged by podcaster Joe Rogan to a debate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says he was stalked outside his home when a right-wing commentator posted video of him confronting him
“I’m just curious, nothing hostile, just curious,” Rosen replied.
Hotez said he hadn’t made up his mind and said Rogan just invited me, so we’ll see. We’ll think about it.’
After reiterating that he thought Hotez should debate, Rosen asked, “What do you say to people who think they’ve been hurt by a vaccine?”
Hotez, clearly upset, began to close his gate and began to walk away from Rosen.
The virologist tweeted on Sunday about what he felt was stalking, possibly referring to Rosen. He also poked fun at his casual outfit.
“Ugh, I just got stalked in front of my house by some anti-vaxers who dared me to debate RFK Jr. Of course I looked my best on Sunday in our unforgiving heat wave. What is it with people?’
In last week’s interview on Rogan’s podcast, Kennedy reiterated his debunked claims that common childhood vaccines cause autism, which Hotez called “simply appalling” while lamenting “it’s clear that many actually believe this nonsense.”
Rogan fired back with a challenge: “Peter, if you claim that what RFK Jr. says “misinformation”, I’ll offer you $100,000.00 to the charity of your choice if you’re willing to debate with him on my show with no time limit. ‘
Twitter owner Elon Musk quickly chimed in to stir up the drama by tweeting that Hotez “just hates charity” and said the scientist is “afraid of public debate because he knows he’s wrong.”
Rogan’s interview with Kennedy last week was met with backlash from Hotez, who took issue with the vaccine concerns, calling it “simply appalling” while complaining “it’s clear that many actually believe this nonsense.”
RFK Jr. appeared on Rogan’s podcast reiterating his debunked claims that common childhood vaccines cause autism
The virologist tweeted on Sunday about what he felt was stalking, possibly referring to Rosen, who confronted him at home
Earlier Sunday, Hotez was endorsed by billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
“I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of twisted things about pharma. But to ignore that the same industry saved who knows how many lives is nonsense and you know it,” he tweeted.
“It is also disrespectful to all the doctors, researchers and medical professionals who devote their lives to saving lives, such as Dr. Hotez and the more than 800,000 doctors in the country who believe that vaccines save lives.”
Later in his diatribe, Cuban criticized Rogan and Musk.
“Joe, you and Elon Musk’s Twitter are the mainstream online media and your platforms have become everything that is supposedly wrong with MSM. You are driven by self-interest. As the MSM has always been blamed.’
“Shark Tank” star and NBA owner Mark Cuban agreed to Rogan’s challenge
Hotez, a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, tweeted Saturday his concerns about the Kennedy interview
In multiple tweets, Hotez indicated his willingness to appear on Rogan’s podcast, which reaches a huge audience of millions on Spotify.
“I’m happy to drop by to have a meaningful discussion. I respect you and your show and I don’t want an adversarial relationship. I think we can make some progress,” Hotez tweeted.
And I’m open to a number of different options, but being pressured now to give you an answer on Twitter, with a take it or leave it demand, that’s not how I operate. Honestly, I don’t even think that would be in your best interest,” he wrote.
Kennedy also indicated his willingness to participate, tweeting, “Peter. Let’s finally have the respectful, sympathetic, informative debate the American people deserve.”
During his Thursday appearance on Rogan’s podcast, Kennedy reiterated his longstanding and debunked claims that common childhood vaccines cause autism.
Everyone will say, “There’s no research to show that autism and vaccines are linked.” That’s just crazy. Those are people who don’t look at science. It’s part of the religion.’
The Democratic presidential nominee has made a name for himself by being a prominent anti-vaxxer, but his involvement in the movement increased during the pandemic and the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.
His anti-vaccine charity, Children’s Health Defense, was thriving at the time, with revenues more than doubling to $6.8 million in 2020, according to filings with charity regulators.
Elon Musk quickly chimed in to stir up the drama on Twitter, saying Hotez fears public debate
Rogan’s challenge sparked a frenzied back and forth on Twitter, but Hotez indicated in multiple tweets that he would be willing to appear on the podcast.
Kennedy Jr released a book in 2021, The Real Anthony Fauci, accusing the US’s top infectious disease physician of aiding “a historic coup against Western democracy” and promoting unproven COVID-19 treatments such as ivermectin, which is intended to treat parasites, and the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine.
His opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine has at times linked him to anti-democratic figures and groups.
Kennedy Jr. has appeared at events denouncing the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. He has also been close to people who applauded or downplayed the Capitol riot.
Kennedy Jr. has sometimes invoked his family’s legacy in his anti-vaccine work, sometimes including images of President John F. Kennedy.
His sister Kerry Kennedy, who heads Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the international rights group founded by their mother, Ethel, said her brother has sometimes removed some of the content at her request.
She told the Associated Press in a 2021 interview her brother is “completely wrong on this point and is very dangerous.”
After Kennedy announced his presidential bid as a Democratic nominee in April, he ranks about 15 percent among potential primary voters, compared to 62 percent for President Joe Biden.
Robert F Kennedy Jr. (left) waves to the crowd at the kick-off of his 2024 campaign, along with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines (right), of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame
Since Kennedy announced his presidential bid as a Democratic nominee in April, he ranks about 15 percent among potential primary voters
Kennedy Jr. has declined to openly speculate on Biden’s mental fitness for office, but told Fox News he jumped into the race because he is dissatisfied with what Biden is “doing with this country.”
He specifically pointed to the president’s handling of the ongoing war in Ukraine, which he said should have been settled long ago.
The amount of U.S. dollars sent to Ukraine since the start of the conflict currently exceeds $130 billion, a figure that Kennedy says far exceeds the budgets of many of the U.S. government agencies combined.
The nominee suggested that some of that money be spent on the United States instead, citing the fact that 57 percent of Americans cannot afford sudden $1,000 hardship costs.
Kennedy has also attracted a niche audience among conservatives for his vociferous skepticism about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as his support for keeping biological men out of women’s sports.