Frank Nez 
On August 28, 2025, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ignited fierce controversy by suggesting on Fox & Friends that antidepressants and psychiatric drugs, particularly those used by transgender individuals, may be driving mass shootings in U.S. schools.
The statement follows a tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that killed two children and injured 17 others.
The Daily Beast reported that Kennedy’s remarks, which also falsely claimed school and church shootings are a recent phenomenon, have drawn sharp rebukes from medical experts, Minnesota officials, and advocacy groups, who accuse him possibly exploiting the tragedy to push anti-trans and anti-vaccine agendas.
As the nation grapples with its 268th mass shooting of 2025, Kennedy’s comments highlight the divisive role of his leadership at HHS amid ongoing public health crises, as seen through public opinion.
Kennedy’s Controversial Claims
During the Fox & Friends interview, Kennedy responded to host Brian Kilmeade’s question about whether drugs used by transgender individuals, including the Minneapolis shooter identified as transgender, could contribute to violence.
Kennedy stated, “We’re launching studies on the potential contribution to some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence.”
He also added, “Many of them have black box warnings that warn of suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation, so we can’t exclude those as a culprit.”
He further claimed, “There was no time in the past when people would walk into a church or a classroom and start shooting people,” ignoring decades of data showing mass shootings in such venues, per The Daily Beast.
The Minneapolis shooting, perpetrated by 23-year-old Robin Westman, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, occurred during a school mass on August 27, 2025, killing two children and injuring 14 others and three parishioners.
Kennedy’s remarks echoed sentiments from Donald Trump Jr., who posted on Instagram a list of shootings involving transgender individuals, sarcastically stating, “But Rednecks with AR-15’s are the Problem,” and suggesting hormone treatments fuel violence.
Criticism from Experts and Officials
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, who has openly discussed her own use of SSRIs for depression, issued a blistering rebuke on August 28, 2025, writing, “I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do. Just shut up. Stop peddling bulls–t. You should be fired.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned efforts to vilify the trans community, stating, “Anyone who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity,” per The Independent.
Medical experts also refuted Kennedy’s claims.
Dr. Ragy Girgis, an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, told USA TODAY, “SSRIs, and psych meds in general, are not responsible for mass shootings or violence in any way,” citing a 2019 FBI study finding no link between antidepressants and school shootings.
Erik Polyak of 314 Action, a science advocacy group, accused Kennedy of “doubling down on disinformation” instead of addressing gun violence and mental health.
A 2022 study led by Girgis similarly found no causal association, noting most school shooters were not on psychotropic medications, per USA TODAY.
Kennedy’s History of Controversial Claims
Kennedy’s remarks align with his long-standing skepticism of pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
He has previously linked SSRIs to school shootings, telling Elon Musk in 2023, “Prior to the introduction of Prozac, we had almost none of these events,” a claim debunked by experts, per Rolling Stone.
His tenure at HHS has been marked by contentious actions, including laying off 100 CDC violence prevention staff two weeks after a shooting at the agency’s Atlanta headquarters, where a gunman citing vaccine grievances killed a police officer.
CDC leaders, including former director Susan Monarez, resigned in August 2025, accusing Kennedy of “weaponizing public health for political gain,” per The Daily Beast.
The controversy comes amid broader challenges for the Trump administration, including economic pressures and with Trump’s approval rating at 39%, per Newsweek, Reuters, and CNN reports.
As the 2026 midterms approach, Kennedy’s inflammatory rhetoric could deepen political divides, with critics like Sen. Smith urging a focus on mental health access and gun safety.
The backlash also underscores the tension between his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda and evidence-based public health policy, shaping the national debate on gun violence.
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