Beshear calls on Trump to remove RFK Jr. amid measles, food-borne illness outbreaks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — As measles cases continue to grow nationally, Gov. Andy Beshear is now calling on President Donald Trump for the removal of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In his weekly press conference, Beshear said that he had sent a letter to Trump calling for him to remove RFK Jr. Under his administration, the country “has experienced a series of dangerous and preventable food-bourne illnesses” as well as spikes in measles, Beshear said.

“We’ve got a leader in Washington that is spreading lies and conspiracy theories that are putting…the most vulnerable at risk," he said. "It’s just wrong and he needs to go.”

Beshear went on to say that he believes Americans are in dangerous under his administration as health secretary.

“He is woefully unqualified,” he continued. “He is putting American lives at risk. It is irresponsible and dangerous to keep him in office, and action needs to be taken.”

Kentucky continues to experience the worst measles outbreaks the state has seen in decades. As of Thursday, 211 cases and 14 hospitalizations had been confirmed in 2026.

Vaccination rates against measles have also been down. Previous reporting by LEX News’ Annie Brown found that vaccine coverage for kindergarten-aged children at the county level declined nearly 2% on average during the 2024-2025 school year.

WATCH: Declining vaccination rates among Kentucky kindergartners raise public health concerns

“All of this is causing billions in unknown and preventable costs for our people and for our businesses, and more importantly, it’s costing the lives of our neighbors across the country,” Beshear said. “The magnitude of the outbreaks we faced this summer are unprecedented.”

According to data from the CDC, over 20,000 cases of cyclosporiasis were confirmed between May 1 and August 31. Over 12,000 hospitalizations and 2 deaths occurred as a result of the outbreak, which was linked to iceberg lettuce.

“Kentuckians and Americans deserve to know their food is safe,” Beshear said. “They deserve to get good information about how to protect themselves and their children from disease. They deserve to have confidence in their government that is something like the pandemic…ever happened again, we would have a real and effective partner in our federal government.”

This is a developing story, so check back with LEX18.com for updates. Email the LEX18 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.