Out Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) gave a runaround answer when MSNBC’s Chris Hayes asked if he felt anti-vaccine Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should resign. Polis supported his nomination earlier this year.

“I think the people calling for his resignation… didn’t vote for him in the first place,” Polis said. “And I obviously supported Joe Biden when he was running against RFK for president, proud of that, and then… I supported Kamala Harris.”

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He continued to ramble about how “Democrats in general have a very different direction on health” and also gave a full endorsement of vaccines, which Kennedy is painstakingly against.

While he never said “yes” or “no”, it was clear he disagreed with certain aspects of Kennedy’s agenda but still supported him staying in the role of secretary of HHS.

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Hayes agreed. “I’m gonna take that as a no,” he said, referring to his question to Polis on whether Kennedy should resign.

The exchange comes after Kennedy testified at what has widely been considered a trainwreck Senate Finance hearing, during which Kennedy’s anti-vaccine plans were raked over the coals by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Kennedy has no background in medical science and is known for his wacky, anti-scientific approach to health, which includes opposition to vaccines and sunscreen, health interventions that have saved millions of lives. Kennedy himself has a history of poor health, which included a parasitic brain worm that resulted in “mental fogginess and memory loss.”

“The head of the health agency for the United States is actively standing before Congress and making things up,” said out Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned from his leadership role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) due to Kennedy’s mismanagement of public health. “He did not tell the truth.”

Polis has voiced his approval of Kennedy since he was nominated to the HHS secretary role in November.

At the time, Polis wrote on X that he was “excited” by Kennedy’s nomination.

“He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA. I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans (which I think are terrible, just like mandates) but what I’m most optimistic about is taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health.”

Polis cited what he believes is Kennedy’s support for capping prescription drug prices and reducing the use of pesticides in agriculture in his post.

Polis then defended his position on CNN. “We’ve seen a lot of Cabinet appointments that are very dangerous and threatening to the country from the incoming president, but I always try to look at the glass as half full,” he said, adding that Kennedy “said some false and outright dangerous claims about vaccines and vaccines that have saved millions of lives” but, “at the same time, we have to remember [that during the president’s first term] he appointed a pharmaceutical lobbyist as the head of this agency, literally the fox guarding the hen house.”

“I truly believe that RFK is not beholden to big pharma,” Polis continued. “I think he’s an independent voice, and I think he’s somebody who means what he says when he cares about reducing chronic disease through better nutrition… If he focuses on that he can do some good for public health.” Polis emphasized that he “would strongly oppose” any anti-vaccination efforts from Kennedy.

Last week, Polis found himself the subject of constituent ire during an “ask me anything” Q&A he hosted on Reddit. The questions overwhelmingly centered on Polis’ support of Kennedy, the Colorado Sun reported, forcing Polis to explain himself dozens of times.

“Several people seem to think I am some kind of RFK fan-boy,” he wrote. “Obviously the media just loves anything about that guy, and because my message is more nuanced it attracts a lot of attention. I am FOR anything he, or any HHS Secretary, does to promote healthy nutrition and chronic disease prevention. I am AGAINST anything he or any HHS Secretary does that is based on pseudo-science, bad science, or casts aspersions on vaccinations.

He added, “I don’t have very high expectations of the current President, and I highly doubt if he dumped RFK he would get someone who promotes healthy lifestyles and doesn’t deny science.”

At one point, he also wrote, “ok I’ll say it here again, and anywhere, loudly and proudly: I AM AGAINST EUGENICS.”

After his appearance on MSNBC, many on social media voiced their anger. “Charlatan!” one person wrote. “Be gone with you. Resign!” Others expressed similar sentiments.

@jaredpolis this was a super simple, straight forward question w/ only one acceptable answer.

If you can’t muster the basic courage to answer it, then you should resign.

We don’t need science denying democrats when the democracy is hanging by a thread. https://t.co/BwNSMY1PSt

— Christopher (@itsmeCWB) September 6, 2025