Vaccines, Abortion, and Hypocrisy: Pence’s Blind Spot in Targeting RFK Jr.

Mike Pence’s pro-life rhetoric crumbles under the weight of his vaccine advocacy, which quietly relies on abortion-derived fetal cells, exposing a deep and unsettling hypocrisy.

Jan 23, 2025

Key Points:

Abortion and Vaccines: Many vaccines championed by conservatives, including Pence, rely on fetal cell lines derived from abortions—an ethical inconsistency for self-proclaimed pro-life advocates.
RFK Jr.’s Ethical Consistency: Unlike Pence, RFK Jr. has directly confronted the ethical implications of vaccine development, making his position more honest despite conservative critiques.
Performative Politics: Pence’s virtue signaling on RFK Jr.’s abortion stance ignores the ethical compromises inherent in his own pro-vaccine advocacy, revealing political convenience over genuine pro-life principles.

Today, Mike Pence new group Advancing American Freedom announced it launched an ostentatious ‘six-figure ad campaign’ opposing RFK Jr.'s nomination to lead HHS.

Yet, Mike Pence’s opposition to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary is a masterclass in political hypocrisy. While Pence parades his pro-life credentials to block Kennedy’s confirmation, he conveniently ignores the glaring ethical contradictions in his own record: his enthusiastic promotion of vaccines developed using abortion-derived fetal cells. This selective morality is not only dishonest but also emblematic of a larger betrayal by conservative leaders who claim to champion life while tacitly endorsing abortion through their vaccine advocacy.

This hypocrisy must be called out, and RFK Jr.’s nomination must be defended—not just for his willingness to confront these difficult ethical questions but for his commitment to restoring public trust in health policy.

The Hypocrisy of Conservative Pro-Vaccine Advocacy

As Vice President, Pence was the face of Operation Warp Speed, hailing the COVID-19 vaccines as a “medical miracle.” He and his wife, Karen Pence, publicly received their vaccines to build public confidence, celebrating the unprecedented speed of vaccine development. Yet Pence and others in the conservative pro-vaccine camp have never acknowledged that many vaccines, including those for rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A, and the COVID-19 vaccines, rely on fetal cell lines derived from elective abortions in the 1960s.

In fact, half of the U.S. adult population is simultaneously both against abortion and for a vaccine schedule that uses induced abortion derived fetal cells, because like Pence, they know almost knowing about how vaccines are made, and what is contained within them. Learn more by reading: The Ultimate Hypocrisy: Pro-Vaccine and Pro-Life

For a man who claims to be unwavering in his defense of unborn life, this silence is deafening. Pence’s failure to address or even acknowledge this ethical conflict while using abortion rhetoric to attack RFK Jr. exposes a shocking lack of integrity. Pro-life advocates deserve leaders who are consistent, not ones who weaponize their values for political convenience while ignoring the uncomfortable truths of their own policies.

RFK Jr.’s Ethical Consistency

Unlike Pence, RFK Jr. has shown the courage to confront the ethical dilemmas surrounding vaccine production. Kennedy has long raised concerns about vaccine safety and the pharmaceutical industry’s lack of accountability. While he has faced criticism for his stances, Kennedy’s willingness to engage with these complex issues stands in stark contrast to Pence’s hollow virtue signaling.

Moreover, Kennedy’s nuanced stance on abortion reflects a thoughtful approach to governing in a pluralistic society. While Pence paints him as insufficiently pro-life, Kennedy has committed to upholding anti-abortion policies as HHS Secretary, demonstrating a capacity for compromise and public service that Pence’s rigid ideology lacks.

The Real Threat: Performative Politics

Pence’s opposition to Kennedy is less about RFK Jr.’s record and more about performative politics. By portraying himself as the ultimate pro-life champion, Pence appeals to a specific conservative base while conveniently sidestepping the ethical inconsistencies in his own actions, or at least his abject ignorance on the subject of the vaccines themselves. This kind of posturing undermines the very principles it claims to uphold and distracts from the urgent need for qualified leadership in public health.

The HHS Secretary is tasked with navigating complex health crises, overseeing public health initiatives, and restoring public trust. RFK Jr.’s experience, combined with his commitment to ethical accountability, makes him uniquely suited for the role. Pence’s attacks, by contrast, are nothing more than a distraction from the real issues at hand.

A Call to Action: Confirm RFK Jr.

With RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing less than a week away (Jan. 29th), there is a rising tide of support for his nomination, with over 45,000 emails sent to Senators in the past month from a single non-profit organization called Stand for Health Freedom, alone. Trump received the mandate of We the People to nominate him for HHS secretary. The Senate must reject Pence’s hypocritical campaign against RFK Jr. and confirm his nomination as HHS Secretary. .

Americans who care about integrity, accountability, and the future of public health must take a stand. Join the Stand for Health Freedom movement to urge your senators to confirm RFK Jr. Take a moment to email your Senators here today. The stakes are too high to allow hypocritical virtue signaling to derail a leader who has the courage to tackle the challenges we face.

It’s time to cut through the noise of political posturing and support a leader who prioritizes ethics and accountability. Confirm RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary—because our health, and our future, depend on it.

Get more details on the upcoming Senate hearing on Jan. 29th, and how you can join in person or virtually, here.