Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton’s daughter, took to Twitter and shared an article against Joe Rogan, who demanded a debate on vaccine science.
Deeply troubled by the online attacks against Dr.. Standing in solidarity with Peter & all our public health and medical professionals committed to delivering science-backed health information, particularly about vaccines.
According to The Hill, prominent vaccine scientist Peter Hotez reported being “stalked” by anti-vaccine activists after podcast host Joe Rogan called for a debate between Hotez and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democratic presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist. Hotez expressed his frustration on Twitter, mentioning the online attacks he received after the podcast episode featuring Rogan and Kennedy, emphasizing that many people believe the misinformation spread by Kennedy.
Rogan responded to Hotez’s tweet by offering him $100,000 to the charity of his choice if he would debate Kennedy on his podcast. Hotez replied, stating his willingness to speak with Rogan privately. Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, claimed that Hotez is afraid of public debate because he knows he is wrong, while Kennedy urged Hotez to engage in a respectful and informative debate.
Billionaire Bill Ackman and entrepreneur Steve Kirsch pledged additional sums of money in support of Rogan’s wager, while others came to Hotez’s defense. Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding emphasized the real threat to Hotez’s life, mentioning a previous incident where anti-vaxxers sponsored by Kennedy’s organization swarmed him and Hotez at a convention. Mark Cuban criticized the attempt to bully Hotez, highlighting that Rogan and Kennedy have a team to prepare them for debates.
George Takei expressed his support for Hotez and encouraged others to follow him on Twitter. Kennedy has faced scrutiny for his vaccine-related claims in the past, with YouTube removing an interview between him and commentator Jordan Peterson for violating its guidelines on vaccine misinformation.
