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Larry David hit Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with a not-so-veiled takedown on Friday’s episode of his new HBO show.
The comedy mastermind, whose new Obama-produced miniseries, Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, takes a humorous look at key moments in American history, used the show’s closing sketch to portray the mother of Jonas Salk, a physician who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines.
The sketch — which features a narrator who highlights that polio was declared eliminated from the US due to widespread vaccinations — sees David’s character bragging about her son and his work to one of her neighbors. Moments later, another neighbor with a tan and a rough voice named “Bobby” appears in an adjacent yard to complain about how the vaccine is going to “kill people” and “give them heart attacks.”
“Drop dead, Bobby!” shouts David’s character in response. “You should die a dog’s death. You don’t know anything about science, you’re not a doctor.”
Bobby argues that he’d make sure no children would take the polio or measles vaccines if he were “in charge,” a stance which David’s character wasn’t having. “Oh, if you were in charge, oh, God help us all! If some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge, that would be a dark day for humanity, I can tell you that,” the comedian declared.
Bobby goes on to deliver a crazed series of lines, including apparent references to when Kennedy invoked Nazi Germany while speaking on COVID-19 policies, and another when he suggested the virus was crafted to steer clear of Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
David — who was once friends with RFK Jr. and introduced the health secretary to his now-wife, former Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines — has seemingly distanced himself from Kennedy since his 2024 presidential campaign announcement and eventual role in Donald Trump’s administration.
In response to Kennedy telling the New York Times that he felt “a lot of support and love from most of [Hines’] friends, including Larry,” regarding his candidacy, David wrote via text, “Yes love and support, but I’m not ‘supporting’ him.”
While Kennedy appeared at the April 2024 premiere for the final season of Curb, Hines revealed to NewsNation last year that David hasn’t spoken to her since, speculating that her husband cozying up to Trump was to blame.
Jeff Schaffer, co-creator and director of David’s new HBO show, told Variety that they hoped the series could comment on current events through a “historical lens” when asked about the recent sketch. “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. We’re talking about vaccinations, and there’s incredible ignorance about vaccinations going on right now,” said Schaffer, who revealed he has “no idea” if Hines was aware of the sketch.
Kennedy appears to be the latest member of the Trump administration that’s been targeted on the show, with late director Rob Reiner seemingly getting in one final jab at the president earlier this month.
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