A writer who penned an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times warning of the dangers of confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s lead health czar called out the newspaper’s owner after the piece ran without the critiques and a “misleading” new headline.
Political anthropologist Eric Reinhart’s original op-ed headline “RFK Jr’s Wrecking Ball Won’t Fix Public Health,” was changed to the complete opposite: “Opinion: Trump’s healthcare disruption could pay off — if he pushes real reform,” as seen in the published piece.
Reinhart quickly called out the paper’s billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong on X on Friday, writing, “I am the author of this OpEd, which was given a misleading title and from which key lines were cut — lines that made very clear that RFK Jr. is dangerously ignorant, has absolutely no business near HHS, and is effectively a mass murderer in waiting.”
The Chicago-based writer was even more blunt on Bluesky, where he wrote, “My first and definitely last time working with the Los Angeles Times. Editing out the most urgent point of an OpEd in the minutes before sending to press while then also assigning a title and image that suggest an argument entirely opposite to the author’s clear intent is pretty shi–y.”
On X, Reinhart added, “A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for nothing but chaos, the opposite of the essential public-systems building I argue for in the OpEd, and mass death.”
He further clarified that he expects headlines to change and for pieces to be edited, “But editing out a very central and timely point in the minutes before sending to press while then also assigning a title and image that suggest an argument entirely opposite to the author’s clear intent is bad.”
Soon-Shiong’s recent actions at the newspaper, including killing a pre-election endorsement for Kamala Harris, have prompted several resignations from top editors. Columnist Harry Litman cited what he called the tech billionaire’s “shameful capitulation to Trump” as his reason for resigning in December.
During confirmation hearings this week, Kennedy tried to distance himself from his previous anti-vaccine stance, but senators, including Bernie Sanders, had ample evidence from previous statements and public appearances.
Kennedy’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, has also condemned him as a “predator” who has “gone on to misrepresent, lie and cheat his way through life.”
