Sanders Praises Musk’s Intelligence and RFK Jr.’s Focus on America’s Health Crisi

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently described tech billionaire Elon Musk as a "smart guy" and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as "right" about America's "unhealthy society," as both prepare for leadership roles in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.

Sanders' remarks highlight areas where he finds common ground with two figures he has often disagreed with in the past.

In an interview with Business Insider on Tuesday, Sanders expressed openness to working with Musk, despite previously criticizing the Tesla CEO as a threat to democracy. Musk has been appointed to co-lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with reducing government spending.

“If somebody on the other side has a good idea, sure, I’ll work with them,” Sanders said, acknowledging Musk’s intellect while criticizing some of his actions during Trump’s campaign as “really ugly.”

Sanders specifically praised Musk’s call for an independent audit of the Defense Department. “We need a strong military, but we don’t need all the waste, profiteering, and fraud that exists in the Pentagon right now,” he said.

Earlier in the week, Sanders echoed Musk’s concerns about defense spending in a post on the social platform X, highlighting the Pentagon’s failure to pass its seventh consecutive audit. 

“Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions,” Sanders wrote. He criticized the wasteful practices of the Military Industrial Complex and called for significant reforms, noting that only 13 senators voted against the defense budget last year.

In addition to Musk, Sanders found areas of agreement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Kennedy is expected to face a challenging Senate confirmation process due to his controversial views on health, particularly his anti-vaccine stance, and his ambitious plan to “Make America Healthy Again.” Both Sanders and Kennedy share concerns about the detrimental impact of processed foods on public health.

“When Kennedy talks about an unhealthy society, he’s right,” Sanders said. He pointed to the alarming prevalence of chronic illnesses such as obesity and diabetes in the U.S., which he described as “extraordinary.”

Sanders emphasized the broader implications of these health issues, not only for the healthcare system but for society at large. “We want our people to have long, productive, happy lives,” he stated.

“If the industry is giving our kids food that’s making them overweight, leading to diabetes and other illnesses, clearly that’s an issue we’ve got to deal with.”

While Sanders dismissed Kennedy’s anti-vaccine stance as “kind of crazy” and a conspiracy theory, he acknowledged that some of Kennedy’s health-related ideas have merit. “Some of what he’s saying is not crazy,” Sanders remarked, reinforcing the shared goal of addressing America’s growing health crisis.

As Musk and Kennedy prepare for their roles in the Trump administration, Sanders’ willingness to collaborate signals a rare moment of bipartisan dialogue on critical issues such as government spending and public health.