When Robert F. Kennedy Jr tells us he has anything “under control,” panic may be the only logical response.

The health secretary has long seemed unable to control even his own impulses, let alone the massive government apparatus under his and his relationship with the truth has been strained, to put it politely, for decades.

On Tuesday, Kennedy assured the nation that the Department of Health and Human Services has record-breaking outbreak of cyclosporiasis infections – that explosive diarrhea illness – “under control.” Exactly what he meant was unclear, since the number of cases recorded by authorities across six affected states are continuing to rise rapidly.

Rather than clarify this dire situation, Kennedy’s remarks the contradictory reports from the agencies under his control.