The recent Senate confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presented a striking scene that would confuse a time traveler from 10 years ago. Democratic lawmakers took turns excoriating a man who once embodied their ideals. Sen. Bernie Sanders, seemingly grasping for gotchas, was reduced to questioning Kennedy about baby clothing merchandise.

The issue isn’t only his troubling views but whether a complex federal agency can function effectively under his leadership.

Alexandra Sifferlin, a health and science editor for Times Opinion, hosted an online conversation on Wednesday with the Opinion columnist Zeynep Tufekci and the Opinion writers David Wallace-Wells and Jessica Grose about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first of two confirmation hearings for secretary of health and human services.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, made disputed claims before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questions from senators during his confirmation, seeing support from his wife, a Florida native. Who is Cheryl Hines?

The two went back and forth in a near-shouting match, at which point Senator Markwayne Mullin complained Sanders was “battering the witness.”

Mr. Kennedy appears to have most Republicans behind him as he seeks the job of health secretary, though he couldn’t escape his past stances on vaccines and abortion.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, squared off with Democratic senators for more than four hours in a contentious confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.

The many controversial people appointed to the Trump administration, from Elon Musk to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have at least one thing in common: They dislike and distrust experts. While anti-intellectualism and populism are nothing new in American life,

Democrats focused on Kennedy's anti-vaccine advocacy. Republicans probed the former Democratic leader on his abortion and agriculture views.

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