Republican Senator Calls Trump's Claims About MMR Vaccine 'Crazy, Stupid'

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana spoke out on Sunday against President Donald Trump's recent comments about the MMR vaccine. Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, called Trump's claims 'crazy, stupid.' Trump had suggested that the combined MMR vaccine — which protects children against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella — should be replaced with six separate shots instead of two. Health experts across the country strongly disagreed with the president's claims.

Trump made his comments while standing next to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's new health secretary. Kennedy has long claimed, without proof, that vaccines cause autism. Trump said the MMR shots are 'sort of like a nuclear weapon' and could be 'quite lethal.' Doctors and scientists say these statements are false and could scare parents away from protecting their children.

Senator Cassidy appeared on CNN to respond to the president's remarks. He pointed out that switching to six separate shots would create big problems for families. 'Now instead of going to the doctor twice to get their child vaccinated, they have to go six times,' Cassidy said. He also warned that more doctor visits would cost more money and raise insurance prices for families.

Cassidy had a complicated relationship with both Trump and Kennedy. He voted to confirm Kennedy as health secretary, even though many pediatricians warned that Kennedy spreads false information about vaccines. Before voting yes, Cassidy said he received a promise from Kennedy that the CDC website would keep its statement that vaccines do not cause autism. That promise turned out not to be kept.

After Kennedy took charge, the CDC website was quietly changed. An asterisk was added next to the headline 'Vaccines do not cause Autism,' and new text was added suggesting the science was still in question. Scientists and doctors say these changes are wrong and dangerous because they give credit to a theory that has been thoroughly disproven. The original false idea linking vaccines to autism came from a single study that was later retracted, or officially taken back.

Cassidy told CNN that Trump's MMR comments 'will do nothing' to fix the damage done by that old, dishonest study. He made clear that splitting up the MMR vaccine has no proven medical benefit and only makes things harder for families. Cassidy is leaving the Senate after losing his re-election race to a Trump-backed candidate. Despite disagreeing with Trump publicly, he still voted to approve several of the president's key government picks.