Diplomatic relations between Berlin and Washington have hit a bizarre new low. The German government has issued a stinging rebuke to US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., formally rejecting his claims that German doctors are being persecuted for issuing COVID-19 vaccine exemptions.

In a move rarely seen between allies, German Health Minister Nina Warken released a statement calling Kennedy’s assertions "factually incorrect" and "unfounded." The row began after Kennedy posted a video on X claiming that "thousands" of German physicians were facing legal action for protecting "medical autonomy."

The Disinformation Clash

Kennedy’s letter to Warken (whom he misspelled as "Workin") alleged a state-sponsored crackdown on dissent. Berlin sees this as a dangerous export of American conspiracy theories into German domestic politics.

• The Facts: While some German doctors have been investigated for issuing fake certificates (selling exemptions without examining patients), there is no systemic persecution of doctors for legitimate medical decisions. Warken’s statement clarified that "fraud is a crime; medical discretion is a right."
• The Political Context: The German government is furious that a senior US official is undermining trust in its public health system. It signals the widening gap between the scientific consensus in Europe and the "medical populism" of the Trump administration.
• The "Sovereignty" Argument: Kennedy framed his intervention as a defense of liberty. Berlin framed its response as a defense of truth. "We do not take lectures on democracy from those who invent facts," a German foreign ministry source leaked.

A Warning Shot

The incident is a preview of the friction to come. With RFK Jr. at the helm of US health policy, traditional allies like Germany will increasingly find themselves fighting a war on two fronts: against future pandemics, and against the disinformation coming from Washington.