Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Today's AI Wiki

1. Early Life and Education

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s early life was marked by his family's prominent political legacy and significant personal tragedies. His educational journey through various institutions laid the foundation for his later career in law, despite early struggles with drug abuse.

1.1. Family Background

Kennedy was born in Washington, D.C. on January 17, 1954. He is the third of eleven children born to Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel. His lineage connects him directly to a pivotal era in American politics, as he is a nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy. He also shares a familial connection with his grandfather, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr..

1.2. Childhood and Trauma

Kennedy was raised between the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Hickory Hill, the family estate in McLean, Virginia. His childhood was deeply affected by the assassinations of his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963 when he was nine, and his father, Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968 when he was 14. He learned of his father's shooting while attending Georgetown Preparatory School and flew to Los Angeles on Vice President Hubert Humphrey's plane, where he was present at his father's death. He served as a pallbearer at his father's funeral and spoke at the commemorative mass at Arlington National Cemetery, reading excerpts from his father's speeches.

1.3. Education

Kennedy graduated from the Palfrey Street School, a day school in a Boston suburb, in June 1972. During this time, he lived with a surrogate family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He continued his education at Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in American history and literature in 1976. He also studied at the London School of Economics. He later obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982 and a Master of Laws from Pace University in 1987.

1.4. Drug Abuse and Expulsions

Following his father's death, Kennedy struggled with drug abuse. At age 16, he was arrested in Barnstable, Massachusetts, for cannabis possession and was placed on 13 months of probation alongside his cousin Bobby Shriver. His struggles led to his expulsion from two boarding schools: Millbrook and Pomfret. During this period, some family members reportedly considered him the "ringleader" of a group known as the "Hyannis Port Terrors," involved in vandalism, theft, and drug use. His first cousin, Caroline Kennedy, later accused him of leading other family members "down the path of drug addiction," referring to him as a "predator." His experimentation with heroin and cocaine continued at Harvard, where he gained a reputation that has been described as a "pied piper" and "drug dealer."

In 1982, Kennedy was sworn in as an assistant district attorney for Manhattan. However, after failing the New York bar exam, he resigned in July 1983. On September 16, 1983, he was charged with heroin possession in Rapid City, South Dakota. In February 1984, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of heroin possession and was sentenced to two years of probation and community service. Following his arrest, he entered a drug treatment center. He claimed this marked the end of his 14 years of heroin use, which he stated began at age 15. His probation ended a year early. As part of his probation, he volunteered for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and attended regular drug rehabilitation sessions.

2. Legal and Environmental Career

Kennedy has dedicated a significant portion of his career to environmental law and activism, working with influential organizations and spearheading numerous legal battles to protect natural resources and advocate for environmental justice. His efforts have led to significant legal victories and policy changes.

2.1. Environmental Litigation and Advocacy

Kennedy's foundational work in environmental protection began with his involvement in prominent organizations, where he focused on advocating for clean water and addressing pollution through litigation and public awareness campaigns.

2.1.1. Riverkeeper

In 1984, Kennedy began volunteering at the Hudson River Fisherman's Association, which was renamed Riverkeeper in 1986. After being admitted to the New York bar in 1985, Riverkeeper hired him as senior attorney. At Riverkeeper, Kennedy litigated and supervised environmental enforcement lawsuits concerning East Coast estuaries, including those on behalf of Hudson Riverkeeper and the Long Island Soundkeeper, where he also served as a board member. Long Island Soundkeeper initiated lawsuits against several municipalities and cities along the Connecticut and New York coastlines. On the Hudson River, Kennedy pursued legal action against municipalities and industries, including General Electric, to halt pollution discharge and enforce the cleanup of historical contamination. His work with Riverkeeper was instrumental in establishing long-term environmental legal standards.

In 1995, Kennedy advocated for the repeal of legislation he deemed detrimental to the environment. In 1997, he co-authored The Riverkeepers with John Cronin, a book detailing the history of the early Riverkeepers and serving as a guide for the broader Waterkeeper movement.

In 2000, a controversy arose when Kennedy insisted on rehiring William Wegner, a wildlife lecturer and falcon trainer who had been convicted in 1995 for tax fraud, perjury, and conspiracy related to wildlife protection laws. Wegner had led a team involved in smuggling endangered cockatoo eggs from Australia to the U.S. for eight years. Riverkeeper's founder, Robert H. Boyle, and eight of the 22 board members resigned in protest, citing concerns that hiring someone with environmental crime convictions would harm the organization's reputation and fundraising efforts. Despite the resignations, a majority of the board sided with Kennedy.

While with Riverkeeper, Kennedy led a 34-year campaign to close the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which he characterized as a "nuclear ticking time bomb" near New York City. He argued in 2017 that renewable energy could fully replace the electricity supplied by Indian Point. However, after the plant's closure in 2021, New York state's carbon emissions from electricity generation increased by 37% compared to 2019. Kennedy resigned from Riverkeeper in 2017.

2.1.2. Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic

In 1987, Kennedy founded the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law, where he served as the clinic's supervising attorney and co-director for three decades. He secured a special order from the New York State Court of Appeals, allowing his 10 clinic students to practice law and litigate cases against Hudson River polluters in state and federal courts under his and Professor Karl Coplan's supervision. The clinic's primary clients were Riverkeeper and Long Island Soundkeeper.

The clinic successfully sued various governments and companies for polluting Long Island Sound and the Hudson River and its tributaries. It advocated for expanding public access to the shoreline and secured numerous settlements for the Hudson Riverkeeper. Kennedy and his students also sued dozens of municipal wastewater treatment plants to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act. In 2010, a lawsuit initiated by Pace forced ExxonMobil to clean up millions of gallons of oil from historical refinery spills in Newtown Creek in Brooklyn.

In recognition of his work, Men's Journal honored Kennedy with its "Heroes" Award in 2001 for creating the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic. The clinic received several other awards for its successful environmental legal work and became a model for similar environmental law clinics across the United States.

2.1.3. Waterkeeper Alliance

In June 1999, as the Riverkeeper model gained traction across North America, Kennedy and several dozen Riverkeepers convened in Southampton, Long Island, to establish the Waterkeeper Alliance. This organization now serves as the umbrella group for 344 licensed Waterkeeper programs operating in 44 countries. As president, Kennedy oversaw the Alliance's legal, membership, policy, and fundraising initiatives. The Alliance is dedicated to promoting "swimmable, fishable, drinkable waterways, worldwide." Kennedy resigned from the Waterkeeper Alliance presidency in November 2020.

Under Kennedy's leadership, the Waterkeeper Alliance launched its "Clean Coal is a Deadly Lie" campaign in 2001, initiating numerous lawsuits targeting mining practices, including mountaintop removal and slurry pond construction, as well as addressing coal-burning utilities' mercury emissions and coal ash piles. The Alliance also actively opposed coal exports, particularly from terminals in the Pacific Northwest.

Waterkeeper engaged in a significant legal and public relations campaign against pollution from factory farms. In the 1990s, Kennedy mobilized opposition to factory farms among independent farmers, organized "National Summits" on factory meat products, and conducted whistle-stop tours across several states to raise awareness. Starting in 2000, he sued factory farms in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Iowa. In a 2003 article, he argued that factory farms produce lower-quality, less healthy food, harm independent family farmers by polluting their environment and reducing property values, and benefit from extensive state and federal subsidies that create unfair competition.

Kennedy's environmental work has been featured in several films, including The Waterkeepers (2000) and the 2008 IMAX documentary Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk, in which he navigated the Grand Canyon with his daughter and anthropologist Wade Davis.

2.1.4. New York City Watershed Agreement

From 1991 onward, Kennedy represented environmentalists and New York City watershed consumers in a series of lawsuits against New York City and upstate polluters. He authored articles and reports alleging that New York State was failing in its responsibility to protect the water supply. In 1996, he was instrumental in orchestrating the $1.2 billion New York City Watershed Agreement, which New York magazine lauded in its cover story, "The Kennedy Who Matters." This agreement, negotiated by Kennedy on behalf of environmental groups and consumers, is recognized as an international model for stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development.

2.1.5. Kennedy & Madonna LLP

In 2000, Kennedy co-founded the environmental law firm Kennedy & Madonna, LLP, with environmental lawyer Kevin Madonna, specializing in representing private plaintiffs against polluters. The firm handles environmental contamination cases for individuals, non-profit organizations, school districts, public water suppliers, indigenous tribes, municipalities, and states. In 2001, Kennedy & Madonna assembled a team of law firms to challenge pollution from industrial pork and poultry production. In 2004, the firm was part of a legal team that secured a $70 million settlement for property owners in Pensacola, Florida, whose land was contaminated by chemicals from an adjacent Superfund site.

The firm's work was highlighted in the 2010 HBO documentary Mann v. Ford, which chronicled four years of their litigation on behalf of the Ramapough Mountain Indians against the Ford Motor Company for dumping toxic waste on tribal lands in northern New Jersey. This lawsuit not only resulted in a monetary settlement for the tribe but also led to the community's land being relisted on the federal Superfund list, a rare instance of a delisted site being reinstated.

In 2007, Kennedy was a finalist for the "Trial Lawyer of the Year" award by Public Justice for his role in securing a 396.00 M USD jury verdict against DuPont for contamination from its zinc plant in Spelter, West Virginia. In 2017, the firm was part of the legal team that achieved a 670.00 M USD settlement for over 3,000 residents in Ohio and West Virginia whose drinking water was contaminated by perfluorooctanoic acid released by DuPont in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

2.1.6. Morgan & Morgan

In 2016, Kennedy became counsel to the Morgan & Morgan law firm, a collaboration that stemmed from their successful joint work on the case against SoCalGas Company following the Aliso Canyon gas leak in California. In 2017, Kennedy and his partners sued Monsanto in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of plaintiffs seeking damages for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases, which they alleged were caused by exposure to Monsanto's glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup. They also filed a class-action lawsuit against Monsanto for allegedly failing to warn consumers about the dangers of Roundup.

In September 2018, Kennedy and his partners filed a class-action lawsuit against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts following gas explosions in three towns north of Boston, alleging negligence. Kennedy stated that while the company was building new pipelines, it was neglecting its existing dilapidated infrastructure.

2.2. Major Lawsuits and Achievements

Kennedy's legal career is marked by his persistent efforts to tackle environmental injustice and protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems, both domestically and internationally.

2.2.1. Work with Minority and Poor Communities

In his inaugural case as an environmental attorney, Kennedy represented the NAACP in a lawsuit against a proposed garbage transfer station in a minority neighborhood in Ossining, New York. In 1987, he successfully sued Westchester County to reopen Croton Point Park, a critical recreational area primarily used by poor and minority communities from the Bronx. He then secured the reopening of Pelham Bay Park, which New York City had converted into a police firing range, effectively restoring public access.

2.2.2. International and Indigenous Rights

Beginning in 1985, Kennedy contributed to developing the international program for environmental, energy, and human rights at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He traveled extensively to Canada and Latin America, assisting indigenous tribes in their efforts to protect their homelands and oppose large-scale energy and extractive projects in remote wilderness areas.

In 1990, Kennedy supported indigenous Pehuenche communities in Chile in a partially successful campaign to halt the construction of a series of dams on the Biobío River, ultimately preventing all but one of the proposed dams. From 1992, he aided the Cree Indians of northern Quebec in their opposition to Hydro-Québec's plans to construct approximately 600 dams on eleven rivers in James Bay.

In 1993, Kennedy and the NRDC, in collaboration with Cultural Survival, a indigenous rights organization, engaged in a dispute with other American environmental groups regarding the rights of indigenous peoples to govern their own lands in the Oriente region of Ecuador. Kennedy represented the CONFENIAE, a confederation of indigenous peoples, in negotiations with the American oil company Conoco to limit oil development in the Ecuadorian Amazon while ensuring benefits from resource extraction for Amazonian tribes. He was also a vocal critic of Texaco for its environmental pollution in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

From 1993 to 1999, Kennedy worked with five Vancouver Island First Nations in their campaign to end industrial logging by MacMillan Bloedel in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. In 1996, he met with Cuban president Fidel Castro to persuade him to halt plans for a nuclear power plant at Juraguá. During their meeting, Castro reportedly reminisced about Kennedy's father and uncle, suggesting that U.S. relations with Cuba would have been much better if President Kennedy had not been assassinated. Between 1996 and 2000, Kennedy and the NRDC assisted Mexican commercial fishermen in stopping Mitsubishi's proposal for a salt facility in the Laguna San Ignacio, a critical breeding and nursing ground for gray whales in Baja. Kennedy wrote against the project and took the campaign to Japan, meeting with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. In 2000, he supported local environmental activists in their efforts to prevent Chaffin Light, a real estate developer, and U.S. engineering giant Bechtel from constructing a large hotel and resort development at Clifton Bay, New Providence Island, which he argued threatened coral reefs and public beaches vital to local Bahamians.

Kennedy was an early editor of Indian Country Today, North America's largest Native American newspaper. He helped lead the opposition to the damming of the Futaleufú River in the Southern Zone of Chile. In 2016, due to the pressure from the Futaleufú Riverkeepers campaign, the Spanish power company Endesa, which held the rights to dam the river, relinquished all claims to the Futaleufú.

2.2.3. Military and Vieques

Kennedy has been a vocal critic of environmental damage caused by the U.S. military. In a 2001 article, he detailed his lawsuit against the U.S. Navy on behalf of fishermen and residents of Vieques, an island of Puerto Rico, to halt weapons testing, bombing, and other military exercises. He argued that these activities were unnecessary and that the Navy had illegally destroyed endangered species, polluted the island's waters, harmed residents' health, and damaged the local economy.

He was arrested for trespassing at Camp Garcia Vieques, the U.S. Navy training facility, while protesting its use for military exercises. Kennedy served 30 days in a maximum-security prison in Puerto Rico for this act. The trespassing incident forced a nearly three-hour suspension of live-fire exercises. The lawsuits and protests led by Kennedy and hundreds of imprisoned Puerto Ricans ultimately compelled the Bush administration to terminate naval bombing in Vieques.

In a 2003 article for the Chicago Tribune, Kennedy declared the U.S. federal government "America's biggest polluter," with the U.S. Department of Defense being the worst offender. Citing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), he noted that "unexploded ordnance waste can be found on 16,000 military ranges...and more than half may contain biological or chemical weapons."

2.3. Other Ventures and Business Interests

Beyond his direct environmental litigation, Kennedy has engaged in various business and investment ventures focused on clean technology and sustainable energy. In 1999, he co-founded Keeper Springs, a bottled water company that donated all its profits to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Kennedy was a venture partner and senior advisor at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a major cleantech venture capital firm. VantagePoint was an early and significant institutional investor in Tesla, Inc. before its IPO, and also supported companies like BrightSource Energy and Solazyme. Kennedy serves on the board and as a counselor for several of VantagePoint's water and energy portfolio companies, including Ostara, a Vancouver-based company that converts wastewater pollutants into high-grade fertilizer. He is also a senior advisor to Starwood Energy Group, contributing to several of the firm's investments.

He sits on the board of Vionx, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of utility-scale vanadium flow battery systems. In October 2017, Vionx, National Grid, and the U.S. Department of Energy completed the installation of advanced flow batteries at Holy Name High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Siemens and the United Technologies Research Center, creating one of Massachusetts's largest energy storage facilities.

Kennedy helped establish and served on the board of the New York League of Conservation Voters. He is a partner in ColorZen, which offers a cotton-fiber pre-treatment solution that reduces water usage and toxic discharges in the cotton-dyeing process. He was also a co-owner and director of Utility Integration Solutions (UISol), a smart-grid company acquired by Alstom. He is currently a co-owner and director of GridBright, a market-leading grid management specialist. In October 2011, Kennedy co-founded EcoWatch, an environmental news site, from whose board of directors he resigned in January 2018.

3. Political Activities

Kennedy's political engagement spans from early considerations for elected office to his recent presidential campaign and his nomination for a cabinet position, reflecting a long-standing presence in the American political landscape.

3.1. Considerations for Public Office and Environmental Roles

Kennedy has a history of considering bids for political office and has frequently been considered for high-level environmental roles within various administrations. Kennedy has a history of considering bids for political office. In 2000, he contemplated running for the U.S. Senate seat in New York, a position once held by his father, but ultimately decided against it. In 2005, he considered running for New York Attorney General in the 2006 election, a race that would have pitted him against his then-brother-in-law Andrew Cuomo. Despite being considered the front-runner, he again chose not to run. In December 2008, he stated he was not interested in being nominated by New York Governor David Paterson for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, citing a desire for more family time.

During the 2000s, Kennedy, recognized as a "well-respected climate lawyer," was frequently considered for high-level environmental positions within Democratic administrations. He was reportedly a potential candidate for chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality under Al Gore in 2000 and for EPA administrator under John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. However, the Obama transition team reportedly decided against his nomination due to his past heroin conviction and anticipated opposition from Senate Republicans. Lobbyists and Republican senators expressed concerns about his perceived radical views and potential to push a "left-wing agenda."

3.2. 2024 Presidential Campaign

Kennedy launched a notable presidential campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election, transitioning from a Democratic primary challenger to an independent candidate before endorsing Donald Trump.

3.2.1. Democratic Primary Candidacy

On March 3, 2023, Kennedy announced he was considering a run for president, stating that his wife had "greenlighted it." He formally filed his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 5, 2023, and officially declared his campaign at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston on April 19. His entry marked him as the fifth member of the Kennedy family to seek the presidency. Despite his Democratic primary bid, members of his family, including over 15 relatives, publicly endorsed Joe Biden in April 2024, distancing themselves from Kennedy's campaign. On September 15, 2023, an armed man claiming to be a federal marshal was detained at a Kennedy speech in Los Angeles, prompting Kennedy to express a desire for Secret Service protection.

3.2.2. Independent Candidacy

On October 9, 2023, Kennedy announced his transition to an independent candidacy for the election. His campaign was characterized by its promotion of various conspiracy theories, leading PolitiFact to name his presidential campaign its 2023 "lie of the year." In May 2024, Kennedy was considered for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination but ultimately lost to Chase Oliver, though the Colorado Libertarian Party selected him. His campaign notably received significant financial support from Republican donors and allies of Donald Trump, who reportedly viewed his candidacy as a potential "spoiler" to the Democratic nominee. Timothy Mellon, a major Republican donor, contributed 15.00 M USD to Kennedy's super PAC, making him the largest single donor.

3.2.3. Endorsement of Donald Trump

In August 2024, facing declining poll numbers and ballot access challenges, the Kennedy campaign reportedly appealed to both the Harris and Trump campaigns, seeking a cabinet post in exchange for an endorsement. While Harris reportedly rebuffed him, Trump indicated he would "probably would [consider the offer], if something like that would happen." On August 22, Kennedy's campaign moved to withdraw from the Arizona ballot amid reports of his impending endorsement of Trump. On August 23, Kennedy officially dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, stating his intention to maintain ballot placement in some non-swing states. This marked a reversal from his previous criticisms of Trump, whom he had called a "terrible human being," a "discredit to democracy," and "probably a sociopath," and had compared to Adolf Hitler. Despite these past remarks, Kennedy stated he found himself "aligned on many key issues" with Trump after discussions with him and his advisers.

Kennedy (left) with Donald Trump (center) at a UFC fight in November 2024.

3.3. Nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services

Following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated for a significant cabinet position, sparking widespread debate and scrutiny due to his controversial views on public health.

3.3.1. Nomination and Confirmation Process

Days before the 2024 election, Donald Trump indicated that Kennedy would have "a big role in health care," a position that was not initially expected to require Senate confirmation. However, on November 14, 2024, after winning the election, Trump announced his intent to nominate Kennedy as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). This nomination immediately drew intense public and political attention.

3.3.2. Criticism of Nomination

Kennedy's nomination faced substantial opposition from various sectors. In December 2024, over 75 Nobel Laureates signed a letter urging the U.S. Senate to reject his nomination, asserting that he would "put the public's health in jeopardy." By January 9, 2025, more than 17,000 doctors from the Committee to Protect Health Care had signed an open letter echoing these concerns, arguing that Kennedy had spent decades undermining public confidence in vaccines and spreading false claims and conspiracy theories, deeming him "actively dangerous" to national healthcare and unqualified to lead HHS. Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, likened placing Kennedy in charge of a health agency to "putting a flat earther in charge of NASA." As of January 24, 2025, over 80 organizations had publicly voiced opposition to his nomination.

Kennedy also faced scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest. He disclosed an arrangement with Wisner Baum, a law firm specializing in pharmaceutical drug injury cases, where he earns 10% of contingency fees for cases he refers. He stated that if confirmed, he would retain this arrangement only for cases not directly involving the federal government, having earned 856.56 K USD from it. He also announced he would assign his son his interests in litigation against the maker of Gardasil, a vaccine for human papillomavirus.

3.3.3. Senate Hearings

In January 2025, the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held hearings on Kennedy's nomination. During the hearings, Senator Bernie Sanders, the HELP Committee's ranking member, was particularly critical of Kennedy.

3.3.4. Committee Votes

On February 4, 2025, the Senate Committee on Finance voted 14-13 to advance Kennedy's nomination to a full Senate vote. The deciding vote came from Senator Bill Cassidy, who, despite initial hesitation, cited "serious commitments" from the Trump administration and "honest counsel" from Vice President JD Vance as reasons for his support. Cassidy, a doctor, recounted a personal experience with a patient who needed a liver transplant due to acute hepatitis B, emphasizing how a 50 USD vaccine could have prevented the need for a 250.00 K USD surgery and lifetime medical bills. Of the two committees Kennedy appeared before, only the Senate Finance Committee held a vote on his nomination.

3.3.5. Confirmation Vote

On February 13, 2025, the Senate confirmed Kennedy as Secretary of Health and Human Services by a vote of 52 to 48. Notably, former Senate Republican Conference leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor and vaccine advocate, was the sole Republican to vote against him, criticizing efforts to revoke approval of the polio vaccine and stating that "anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts."

3.3.6. Tenure

Kennedy was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office by Justice Neil Gorsuch on February 13, 2025. He is the first independent or third-party presidential candidate to become a cabinet member after running for president.

Minutes after his swearing-in, President Trump signed Executive Order 14211, establishing the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Commission, to be chaired by Kennedy. The commission's objectives include investigating the incidence and causes of chronic childhood diseases and assessing "the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs." The following morning, agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were informed that approximately 5,200 newly hired federal health workers would be terminated that day.

On February 20, 2025, amid an unusually severe influenza season, HHS instructed the CDC to suspend its advertising campaign promoting flu vaccination. The campaign, partly a response to declining vaccination rates, aimed to convey that vaccination would result in milder symptoms and reduced chances of severe illness.

Kennedy's tenure began during a measles outbreak in the Southwest United States, which included the first measles death in a decade. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 146 cases, 20 hospitalizations, and one death by late February. When asked about the outbreak, Kennedy stated there had been two deaths and that "there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it's not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year." He also falsely claimed that hospitalized individuals were "mainly for quarantine," a claim refuted by healthcare professionals. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) stated, "Nothing about kids dying from measles is normal," and asserted that "Anti-vaxxers like RFK Jr. and the Republicans who enable them are responsible for every single one of these deaths."

4. Anti-vaccine Advocacy and Public Health Misinformation

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a prominent and controversial figure in the anti-vaccine movement, known for disseminating misinformation and conspiracy theories regarding public health, particularly concerning vaccines and infectious diseases. Public health experts widely refute his claims, emphasizing their potential to endanger public health.

4.1. General Stance and Organizations

Kennedy's stance on vaccines is characterized by a public claim of being pro-vaccine while actively promoting misinformation and advocating for more stringent testing. Kennedy has been a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement, actively spreading misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda. While he has publicly stated he is not "anti-vaccine" and that he had all six of his children vaccinated, claiming he believes vaccines have saved hundreds of millions of lives, he simultaneously advocates for more thorough testing and investigation of vaccines and has stated, "There's no vaccine that is safe and effective."

The infectious disease specialist Michael Osterholm described Kennedy's "anti-vaccine disinformation" as effective due to its presentation with "graphs and figures and what appears to be scientific data," calling it "the art of illusion of fact." Osterholm warned that promoting such disinformation is "dangerous" as it impacts people's lives.

Kennedy joined and later chaired Children's Health Defense (formerly the World Mercury Project) in 2015. In its early years, the group focused on mercury in industry and medicine, particularly the ethylmercury used in thimerosal in vaccines. Children's Health Defense alleges that exposure to certain chemicals and radiation has caused a wide range of conditions in American children, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), food allergies, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. The group has campaigned against vaccines, fluoridation of drinking water, paracetamol (acetaminophen), aluminum, and wireless communication. It was identified as a major buyer of anti-vaccine advertising on Facebook in late 2018 and early 2019.

4.2. Vaccines and Autism Claims

A core aspect of Kennedy's anti-vaccine advocacy has been the persistent, scientifically disproven claim that vaccines cause autism. Kennedy and Children's Health Defense have falsely claimed that vaccines cause autism. He particularly focused on the subset of vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based antimicrobial, despite the scientific consensus that there is no causal link between thimerosal (or vaccines in general) and autism. While methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin, thimerosal is not, and the CDC states there is "no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines." Thimerosal has never been used in MMR, chickenpox, pneumococcal conjugate, or inactivated polio vaccines, and was removed from most other childhood vaccines in 2001, with only trace amounts remaining in some flu and hepatitis vaccines, and thimerosal-free versions generally available.

In April 2015, Kennedy promoted the film Trace Amounts, which advances the discredited claim of a link between autism and mercury in vaccinations. At a screening, he referred to the increased cases of autism (which he termed an "autism epidemic") as a "holocaust."

In 2020, the Center for Countering Digital Hate noted that Kennedy leverages his environmental activist status to bolster the anti-vaccination movement, frequently appearing with discredited figures like former British doctor Andrew Wakefield, anti-vaccination activist Del Bigtree, and conspiracy theorist Rashid Buttar. Kennedy is listed as an executive producer of Vaxxed II: The People's Truth, the 2019 sequel to Wakefield and Bigtree's anti-vaccination propaganda film Vaxxed. In March 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate identified Kennedy as one of 12 individuals responsible for up to 65% of anti-vaccine content on Facebook and Twitter.

Kennedy has asserted that governments and the media are conspiring to deny that vaccines cause autism.

4.2.1. Meeting with Donald Trump

On January 10, 2017, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that Kennedy met with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss a position in the Trump administration. Kennedy later claimed he accepted an offer to chair a Vaccine Safety Task Force, though a Trump transition spokeswoman stated no final decision had been made. In an August 2017 interview, Kennedy said he had been meeting with federal public health regulators at the White House's request to discuss perceived defects in vaccine safety science.

4.2.2. Controversy with Robert De Niro

On February 15, 2017, Kennedy and actor Robert De Niro held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where they alleged that the press was serving the vaccination industry and stifling debates on vaccination science. They offered a 100.00 K USD reward to any journalist or citizen who could provide a study demonstrating the safety of injecting mercury into babies and pregnant women at levels found in flu vaccines. Craig Foster, a psychology professor specializing in pseudoscience, criticized the challenge as "not science," calling it a "carefully constructed 'contest' that allows its creators to generate the misleading outcome they presumably want to see." Foster noted that "Proving that something is safe is importantly different than proving that something is harmful."

4.2.3. Samoa measles outbreak

On June 4, 2019, during a visit to Samoa, Kennedy appeared in an Instagram photo with Australian-Samoan anti-vaccine activist Taylor Winterstein. Kennedy's charity and Winterstein had both perpetuated the false claim that the MMR vaccine was responsible for the 2018 deaths of two Samoan infants, despite investigations revealing the infants mistakenly received a muscle relaxant along with the vaccine. Kennedy faced criticism for contributing to vaccine hesitancy amidst a social climate that led to the devastating 2019 Samoa measles outbreak, which killed over 70 people, and the 2019 Tonga measles outbreak.

4.2.4. Texas and New Mexico measles outbreak

In February 2025, an outbreak of measles in West Texas resulted in the death of a child, marking only the second such U.S. fatality since 2003. Over 100 individuals were diagnosed, with 20 hospitalized by February 26. Measles had previously been declared domestically eliminated in the U.S. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) publicly stated, "Nothing about kids dying from measles is normal." He asserted that "Anti-vaxxers like RFK Jr. and the Republicans who enable them are responsible for every single one of these deaths."

4.3. COVID-19 Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy actively promoted multiple conspiracy theories and false claims related to the virus, its origins, and the vaccines developed to combat it.

4.3.1. Targeting Fauci, Gates, and Biden

Kennedy advanced false claims that Anthony Fauci and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were attempting to profit from a COVID-19 vaccine. He suggested that Bill Gates would restrict financial access for unvaccinated individuals, potentially leading to starvation. In August 2020, Kennedy appeared in an hour-long Instagram interview with Alec Baldwin, making numerous incorrect and misleading assertions about vaccines and public health measures, which drew criticism from public health officials and scientists who lamented that his claims went unchallenged.

His book, The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health (2021), alleges that Fauci sabotaged AIDS treatments, violated federal laws, and conspired with Bill Gates and social media companies to suppress information about COVID-19 cures, thereby making vaccines the sole option against the pandemic. In the book, Kennedy labels Fauci a "powerful technocrat who helped orchestrate and execute 2020's historic coup d'état against Western democracy," claiming without proof that Fauci and Gates conspired to prolong the pandemic and exaggerate its effects to promote expensive vaccinations for the benefit of a "powerful vaccine cartel." In response, Fauci called Kennedy "a very disturbed individual" and expressed bewilderment at Kennedy's thought process.

Kennedy also promoted misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, falsely suggesting it contributed to the death of Hank Aaron and others. He wrote the foreword to Plague of Corruption, a 2020 book by former research scientist and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Judy Mikovits.

4.3.2. Claims about Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety

In May 2021, Kennedy petitioned the FDA to rescind authorization for all current and future COVID-19 vaccines, despite the vaccines having saved approximately 140,000 lives in the United States. John Moore, a professor of immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, characterized Kennedy's request as "an appalling error of judgment."

4.3.3. Promotional Activities (Books, Speeches, Videos)

Kennedy actively used various platforms to disseminate his views. In February 2021, his Instagram account was deleted for "repeatedly sharing debunked claims" about COVID-19 vaccines. The Center for Countering Digital Hate identified Kennedy as a key propagator of conspiracy theories involving Bill Gates and 5G phone technology, noting a significant increase in his social media following during the pandemic.

Kennedy expressed skepticism about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, contending that it led to a "4.40 T USD shift in wealth from the American middle class to this new oligarchy... 500 new billionaires with the lockdowns, and the billionaires that we already had increased their wealth by 30%."

In August 2020, Kennedy spoke at a demonstration in Berlin advocating for an end to COVID-19 restrictions. His YouTube account was removed in late September 2021 for violating the company's policies on vaccine misinformation.

During a speech at an anti-vaccination rally in Washington, D.C., on January 23, 2022, Kennedy controversially stated: "Even in Hitler's Germany, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland, you could hide in the attic like Anne Frank did. Today the mechanisms are being put in place that will make it so none of us can run, none of us can hide." The Auschwitz Memorial condemned his remarks, and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, called them "reprehensible and insensitive." Kennedy apologized two days later. In June 2023, Instagram reinstated his account.

At a private dinner in July 2023, Kennedy was recorded suggesting that COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to attack Caucasians and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. He claimed, "we don't know whether it's deliberately targeted or not." Jewish groups and anti-defamation organizations immediately condemned his remarks as feeding into sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories. Kennedy responded that he "never, ever suggested that the COVID-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews" and that he does not "believe and never implied that the ethnic effect was deliberately engineered." He attempted to justify his remarks by citing a 2021 study, which he mischaracterized, to support a concept of "ethnically targeted bioweapons." Experts widely criticized his claims, pointing out the study did not mention Chinese people or bioweapons, and that both Chinese people and Ashkenazi Jews contract COVID-19 at rates similar to other ethnic groups.

4.4. HIV/AIDS Denialism and Other Disease Conspiracy Theories

Beyond vaccines, Kennedy has promoted various other disease-related conspiracy theories, including controversial views on HIV/AIDS and Lyme disease. In his book The Real Anthony Fauci, Kennedy states he takes "no position on the relationship between HIV and AIDS," yet dedicates over 100 pages to quoting HIV/AIDS denialists like Peter Duesberg who question HIV's isolation and AIDS' etiology. Kennedy refers to the "orthodoxy that HIV alone causes AIDS" and the "theology that HIV is the sole cause of AIDS," repeating the false claim that the HIV virion has not been isolated and that no study has demonstrated their hypothesis using "accepted scientific proofs." He also falsely claims that the early AIDS drug AZT is "absolutely fatal" due to its "horrendous toxicity." Molecular biologist Dan Wilson concluded that Kennedy is a "full blown" HIV/AIDS denialist. Epidemiologist Tara C. Smith suggested Kennedy's book "even flirts with outright germ theory denial," noting his contrasting of germ theory of disease with terrain theory and an unproven claim that Louis Pasteur "is said to have recanted" germ theory on his deathbed in favor of Antoine Béchamp's terrain theory.

In January 2024, Kennedy released a podcast on Lyme disease, claiming it was "highly likely to have been a military weapon" developed at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Multiple experts and authoritative sources have debunked this charge as "absurd."

4.5. Medical Racism Conspiracy Theory

Kennedy has been accused of targeting Black American communities with anti-vaccine propaganda, linking vaccination efforts to historical medical racism. Kennedy specifically targets Black Americans with anti-vaccine propaganda and conspiracy theories, drawing false parallels between vaccination efforts and historical instances of medical racism such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Children's Health Defense, echoing other anti-vaccination narratives, falsely claimed that the U.S. government intended to harm ethnic minorities by prioritizing them for COVID-19 vaccines. In March 2021, Children's Health Defense released an anti-vaccine propaganda video titled "Medical Racism: The New Apartheid", which promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories and alleged that vaccination efforts were medical experiments on Black people. Kennedy appeared in the video, urging viewers to disregard information from health authorities. Disinformation experts noted that the film's "incompatible narratives sought to take advantage of the pain felt by Black communities." The film was subsequently removed from Facebook, though Kennedy's account remained active.

4.7. Writings and Speeches Promoting Anti-vaccine Theories

Kennedy has utilized various platforms, including articles, books, and speeches, to promote his anti-vaccine and public health conspiracy theories. In June 2005, Kennedy authored "Deadly Immunity", an article published in both Rolling Stone and Salon.com, alleging a government conspiracy to conceal a link between thimerosal and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. The article contained factual errors, leading Salon to issue five corrections and eventually retract it in its entirety six years later, citing accumulating evidence of errors and scientific fraud underlying the vaccine-autism claim. Rolling Stone published a corrected version. Kennedy claimed Salon "caved to pressure from government regulators and the pharmaceutical industry," a claim refuted by the former editor-in-chief, Joan Walsh, who called it "the worst mistake of my career."

In May 2013, Kennedy delivered the keynote address at the anti-vaccination AutismOne / Generation Rescue conference. In 2014, his book Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak: The Evidence Supporting the Immediate Removal of Mercury-a Known Neurotoxin-from Vaccines was published. The book features a preface by Mark Hyman, a proponent of functional medicine. Kennedy has published numerous articles advocating for the removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

5. Political and Social Views

Kennedy's political and social views encompass a wide range of topics, from economic policy and foreign affairs to environmental issues and his perspectives on democratic integrity, often characterized by anti-establishment and conspiratorial rhetoric.

5.1. Economic Policy and Inequality

Kennedy's economic views emphasize issues of inequality and the disproportionate impact of environmental pollution on disadvantaged communities. Kennedy has consistently argued that impoverished communities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution. Speaking at the 2016 South by Southwest environment conference, he noted that Chicago's South Side has the highest concentration of toxic waste dumps in the U.S., and that 80% of "uncontrolled toxic waste dumps" are in Black neighborhoods, with the largest site in Emelle, Alabama, which is 90% Black.

He asserts that the "systematic" erosion of the middle class is taking place, claiming that American politicians have "been systematically hollowing out the American middle class and printing money to make billionaires richer." Kennedy believes the financial industry and the military-industrial complex are funded at the expense of the American middle class. He contends that the U.S. government is dominated by corporate power, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency is run by the "oil industry, the coal industry, and the pesticide industry," and that the Food and Drug Administration is controlled by "Big Pharma." He views a "vibrant middle class" as the backbone of the economy and attributes economic deterioration to its impoverishment.

In an interview with Andrew Serwer, Kennedy stated that the wealth gap in the U.S. is excessive and that "the very wealthy people should pay more taxes and corporations." He also expressed support for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax plan, which proposes an annual tax of 2% on net worth over 50.00 M USD and 6% on net worth over 1.00 B USD.

5.2. Foreign Affairs, Military, and Security Policy

Kennedy holds critical views on U.S. foreign policy and military interventions, advocating for a reduction in American military presence abroad and questioning alliances with authoritarian regimes. Kennedy is critical of U.S. foreign policy and military interventions, particularly its alliances with dictatorships like Saudi Arabia. He condemned the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war as a "genocide against the Iranian-backed Houthi tribe." Despite this, he is a supporter of Israel, and a heated exchange with Breaking Points host Krystal Ball in December 2023 was hailed by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach as "the single greatest defense of Israel on videos since the start of the" 2023 Israel-Hamas war.

An opponent of the military industry and foreign interventions, Kennedy criticized the Iraq War and American support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion. While condemning the Russian invasion, he referred to the Russo-Ukrainian War as "a U.S. war against Russia" aimed at sacrificing Ukrainian youth for "the geopolitical ambition of the neocons." He called for a peace agreement in Ukraine based on the Minsk Accords, suggesting the Donbas region should remain autonomous within Ukraine under United Nations peacekeeping forces, and that Aegis missile systems should be removed from Eastern Europe. He also argued that Ukraine should be forbidden from joining NATO, and as president, he would consider admitting Russia to NATO and de-escalating tensions with China. He controversially claimed the 2014 Ukrainian revolution was a U.S.-sponsored coup and that the Ukrainian government committed atrocities against the Russian population in Donbas, falsely claiming all 14,000 casualties of the Donbas War between 2014 and 2022 were Russians.

Kennedy has denounced the operations of former CIA director Allen Dulles, condemning U.S.-backed coups and interventions, such as the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, as "bloodthirsty." He blamed U.S. interventions in countries like Syria and Iran for the rise of terrorist organizations like ISIS and for creating anti-American sentiment in the region. He also stated that the CIA lacks accountability and expressed his intention to restructure the agency.

His disapproval of U.S. intervention in foreign governments dates back to a 1974 Atlantic Monthly article titled "Poor Chile," discussing the overthrow of Chilean president Salvador Allende. He wrote editorials against the execution of Pakistani president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and a 1975 article in The Wall Street Journal criticizing assassination as a foreign policy tool. In 2005, he penned an article for the Los Angeles Times decrying President Bush's use of torture as anti-American, an article his uncle Senator Ted Kennedy entered into the Congressional Record.

In a February 2016 Politico article, "Why the Arabs Don't Want Us in Syria," Kennedy argued that U.S. interventions are motivated by geopolitical interests rather than promoting freedom. He attributed the Syrian war to a pipeline dispute, citing alleged WikiLeaks disclosures that the CIA fomented a Sunni uprising against Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, after his rejection of a proposed Qatar-Turkey pipeline in 2009.

In a June 2023 interview, Kennedy expressed his belief that U.S. foreign relations should involve significantly reducing the military presence in other nations by closing U.S. bases worldwide. He clarified that his criticism of the Biden administration's policies regarding Ukraine did not equate to support for Putin's regime, calling Putin a "monster," a "thug," and a "gangster." He also criticized the "provocative policies" of both the Trump and Biden administrations concerning U.S. relations with China, advocating for a reduction in tensions.

5.3. Environmental Policy

Kennedy presents himself as a prominent environmentalist, championing policies that he characterizes as populist and anti-establishment, while also expressing controversial views on mainstream environmental efforts. Kennedy has positioned himself as a leading environmentalist, advocating for populist and anti-establishment environmental policies. He claims that the "climate crisis" has been "hijacked" by "Bill Gates and the World Economic Forum and the billionaire boys' club in Davos." In 2015, he controversially stated he "wished there were a law you could punish them under" for politicians skeptical of global warming.

Kennedy believes environmentalists should prioritize tackling the "carbon industry" and that the current society and economy are unsustainable, rooted in a "deadly addiction to coal and oil." He argues that the economic system rewards pollution, contrasting "the dirtiest, filthiest, most poisonous, most toxic, most war-mongering fields from hell" with "the cheap, clean, green, wholesome and patriotic fields from heaven." He advocates for rationalizing the marketplace to create a sustainable society.

Kennedy has championed a global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, arguing that it reduces costs and greenhouse gases while improving air and water quality, public health, and job creation. However, he has opposed hydropower from dams. His fight against Appalachian mountaintop removal mining was the subject of the film The Last Mountain.

Initially a supporter of natural gas as a bridge fuel, he turned against fracking after investigating its public health, climate, and infrastructure costs. As a member of Governor Andrew Cuomo's fracking commission, Kennedy helped orchestrate a 2013 ban on fracking in New York State. In 2013, he assisted the Chipewyan First Nation and the Beaver Lake Cree in protecting their land from tar sands production. In February 2013, he was arrested with his son, Conor, for blocking a thoroughfare in front of the White House during a protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline. In 2015, Kennedy launched a national effort against the construction of liquefied natural gas facilities. In August 2016, he and Waterkeepers participated in protests against the extension of the Dakota Access pipeline across the Sioux Indian Standing Rock Reservation's water supply.

Kennedy maintains that the oil industry's competitiveness against renewables and electric cars is due to massive direct and indirect subsidies and political interventions. He claims the industry's strategy is to build extensive pipeline infrastructure to make it difficult for the country to transition away from fossil fuels.

Kennedy supports Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution, advocating for a market-based approach with carbon taxes and the elimination of subsidies. He has spoken against geoengineering, viewing it as an attempt by large corporations to profit from climate change.

He has expressed support for regenerative farming and, in May 2023, voiced support for agrarian movements, stating, "If we want to have democracy, we need a broad ownership of our land by a wide variety of yeoman farmers, each with a stake in our system." In 1995, Premier Ralph Klein of Alberta declared Kennedy persona non grata in the province due to his activism against Alberta's large-scale hog production facilities. In 2002, Smithfield Foods sued Kennedy in Poland under a Polish law after he denounced the company during a debate before the Polish parliament.

Kennedy has opposed conventional nuclear power, deeming it unsafe and economically uncompetitive. In June 1981, he spoke at an anti-nuclear rally at the Hollywood Bowl. He believes nuclear energy is driven by corporate lobbyists rather than environmental activists, and has claimed insurance companies are unwilling to insure nuclear plants.

During the presidency of George W. Bush, Kennedy criticized Bush's environmental and energy policies, alleging he defunded and corrupted federal science projects. He also opposed Bush's 2003 hydrogen car initiative, arguing it was a disguised gift to the fossil fuel industry because hydrogen would be extracted from fossil fuels. In 2003, Kennedy wrote an article in Rolling Stone about Bush's environmental record, which he expanded into a New York Times bestselling book, Crimes Against Nature. His opposition earned him recognition as one of Rolling Stone{{'s}} "100 Agents of Change" in 2009.

In October 2012, Kennedy urged environmentalists to direct their dissatisfaction toward Congress rather than President Barack Obama, citing a partisan Congress as the reason for Obama's perceived lack of environmental progress. He stated that politicians who fail to act on climate change serve special interests and betray public trust, accusing Charles and David Koch of subverting democracy and enriching themselves by "impoverishing the rest of us." He referred to the Koch brothers as leading "the apocalyptical forces of Ignorance and Greed." During the 2014 People's Climate March, he emphasized the need for "people power" against the Koch brothers' financial influence.

In a 2020 interview on Yahoo Finance's "Influencers with Andy Serwer", Kennedy called President Trump's environmental policies a "cataclysm" and a "radical step of a process that's been happening... since 1980," reflecting a growing hostility towards the environment and an orientation towards "concentrated corporate power" in the oil and chemical industries.

5.4. Views on Drugs and Elections

Kennedy has articulated specific views on drug rehabilitation and election integrity, often aligning with a critical stance on established systems.

He has proposed creating "wellness farms" for the rehabilitation of illegal drug users, funded by revenue from taxing the sale of legalized cannabis. Inmates on these farms would grow organic food and would not have access to computer technology. Kennedy has also suggested these farms could treat individuals on psychiatric medications, envisioning them as long-term retreats (three to four years if needed) for people to get off opiates, other psychiatric drugs, SSRIs, benzos, and Adderall, and to learn to get "reparented" and reconnect with communities. Kennedy has stated that participation in these farms would be compulsory only for illegal drug users.

Kennedy has been critical of the integrity of the voting process. In June 2006, he published an article in Rolling Stone purporting to show that GOP operatives stole the 2004 United States presidential election for President George W. Bush, based on alleged discrepancies between exit polling and reported results in swing states and voter disenfranchisement. This article was largely regarded by most Democrats and Republicans as a conspiracy theory, and journalist Farhad Manjoo criticized it for "numerous errors of interpretation and his deliberate omission of key bits of data."

Kennedy has written about the ease of election hacking and the dangers of voter purges and voter-identification laws. He contributed an introduction and a chapter to Billionaires and Ballot Bandits, a 2012 book by investigative journalist Greg Palast focusing on election hacking.

5.5. Political Endorsements

Kennedy's political endorsements have shifted over time, reflecting his evolving political stances. He worked on his uncle Sargent Shriver's 1976 presidential campaign in Massachusetts and served on the national staff and as a state coordinator for his uncle Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign.

He endorsed and campaigned for Vice President Al Gore during his 2000 presidential campaign and openly opposed Ralph Nader's Green Party presidential campaign. In the 2004 presidential election, Kennedy endorsed John Kerry, citing his strong environmental record. After Kerry's loss, Kennedy wrote an article for Rolling Stone falsely claiming the election results were fraudulent and stolen from Kerry, based on alleged discrepancies in exit polling and voter disenfranchisement.

In late 2007, Kennedy and his sisters Kerry and Kathleen endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries. After the Democratic Convention, Kennedy campaigned for Barack Obama across the country. Following the election, the Obama administration reportedly considered Kennedy for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, but concerns about his controversial statements and his past heroin arrest made Senate confirmation unlikely.

In 2016, Kennedy characterized supporters of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump as "belligerent idiots" and suggested some were "outright Nazis." He also described Trump as a "bully" and a "threat to democracy," comparing him to Adolf Hitler and George Wallace. However, in 2024, Kennedy endorsed Trump for president at a rally in Arizona.

Kennedy (left) with Donald Trump (right) at a rally in Arizona on August 23, 2024.

6. Personal Life and Controversies

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s personal life has attracted public attention, encompassing his family relationships, health challenges, and various controversies, including allegations of sexual misconduct and unusual incidents involving animal carcasses.

6.1. Personal Interests and Health

Beyond his public and political life, Kennedy maintains various personal interests, including falconry and whitewater kayaking, and has faced public discussions regarding his health. Kennedy is a licensed master falconer, having trained hawks since age 11. He breeds hawks and falcons and holds permits as a raptor propagator and wildlife rehabilitator. He was president of the New York State Falconry Association from 1988 to 1991 and authored the New York State Apprentice Falconer's Manual, which is still in use.

He is also an avid whitewater kayaker, introduced to the sport by his father. He co-owned and guided for a whitewater company, Utopian, in Maine from 1976 to 1981. He organized and led several "first-descent" whitewater expeditions to Latin America, including hitherto unexplored rivers like the Apurimac in Peru (1975), the Atrato in Colombia (1979), and the Caroni in Venezuela (1982). In 1993, he made an early descent of the Great Whale River in northern Quebec. In 2015, he took two of his sons to the Yukon to visit Mount Kennedy and run the Alsek River. His father was the first person to climb Mount Kennedy in 1965.

During his college years, Kennedy developed heart problems, which he attributed to caffeine, stress, and sleep deprivation. In his 40s, he developed adductor spasmodic dysphonia, an organic voice disorder that causes his voice to quaver. He underwent a procedure in Kyoto, Japan, where a titanium bridge was inserted between his vocal cords to try to alleviate the disorder.

In 2010, Kennedy began experiencing severe short- and long-term memory loss and mental fog. In a 2012 divorce court deposition, he attributed these neurological issues to "a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died," in addition to mercury poisoning from consuming large quantities of tuna. His campaign has not released medical records to verify his account.

Kennedy identifies as a Catholic, described by journalist Michael Paulson in 2005 as "a deeply devout Catholic who attends daily Mass." He considers Francis of Assisi his patron saint and a role model, inspired by Francis's devotion to social justice, helping the poor, animal welfare, and environmentalism. Kennedy views Catholicism as a vehicle for his environmentalism, stating that "environmental work is spiritual work." Despite being pro-life, he identifies with liberal Catholicism and criticized the church's argument that John Kerry should have been denied communion due to his support for abortion rights. In a 2018 interview with Vatican News, he expressed admiration for Pope John XXIII and stated, "the Church should be an instrument of justice and kindness around the world."

6.2. Marriages and Children

Kennedy's personal life has included multiple marriages and a number of children, which have sometimes been subjects of public scrutiny. On April 3, 1982, Kennedy married Emily Ruth Black, whom he met at the University of Virginia School of Law. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1994. On April 15, 1994, he married architect and designer Mary Kathleen Richardson, a close friend of his sister Kerry, aboard a research vessel on the Hudson River. Kennedy has six children: two with Black and four with Richardson.

During his marriage to Richardson, Kennedy was known among friends for sending explicit nude photos of women, presumed to be taken by him, according to Vanity Fair. He reportedly engaged in multiple affairs during this marriage, with friends describing him as a "lifelong philanderer." On May 12, 2010, Kennedy filed for divorce from Richardson. On May 16, 2012, Richardson was found dead by suicide due to asphyxiation from hanging. Prior to her death, Richardson reportedly discovered Kennedy's personal journal from 2001, in which he recorded sexual encounters with 37 different women, and passed it to her sisters with instructions for publication if anything happened to her. During their divorce, Richardson showed signs of drug and alcohol abuse and psychiatric distress. After her death, Kennedy won a court case to have her buried alongside Kennedy family members in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville, Massachusetts. Shortly after her burial, Kennedy had her body disinterred and moved to an unmarked grave in an empty area of the cemetery to allow more space for future burials closer to the family plots. His niece Saoirse Kennedy Hill was later buried next to Richardson after her death from a drug overdose at age 22.

In 2012, Kennedy began dating actress Cheryl Hines. They married on August 2, 2014, at the Kennedy Compound. The couple were introduced by Larry David, Hines's co-star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Kennedy and Hines reside in Los Angeles and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In September 2024, Olivia Nuzzi, a reporter covering his presidential campaign, informed her editors of a non-physical personal relationship with Kennedy.

6.3. Sexual Assault Allegations and Animal Treatment Controversies

Kennedy has faced various controversies in his personal life, including allegations of sexual misconduct and public incidents involving the treatment of animals. In July 2024, Vanity Fair reported allegations of sexual misconduct by Kennedy in the late 1990s involving Eliza Cooney, a 23-year-old part-time babysitter for his children. Cooney alleged that Kennedy groped her and touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions, and asked her to rub lotion on his back when they were alone in a bedroom. Kennedy dismissed the Vanity Fair piece as "garbage" and, when pressed on Cooney's allegation, responded, "I am not a church boy. I had a very, very rambunctious youth. I said in my announcement speech that I have so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world." He later texted Cooney, stating he had "no memory of this incident, but I apologize sincerely for anything I ever did that made you feel uncomfortable." Cooney stated, "I don't know if it's an apology if you say 'I don't remember'."

In July 2024, an image of Kennedy holding a charred animal carcass from 2010 surfaced in a Vanity Fair story, which alleged it was a dog and that Kennedy ate it. Kennedy denied eating dog meat and stated the animal was a goat. According to Snopes, the carcass was lamb. However, Kennedy had previously stated that he had eaten dog, horse, and guinea pig meat before 2001, along with a variety of other wild and domestic animals.

In August 2024, Kennedy released a video acknowledging that in October 2014 he placed a dead six-month-old bear in Central Park, after initially planning to skin it for meat. He claimed the bear had been hit by a car in front of him and that he ultimately abandoned the carcass, deliberately positioning it to appear as if it had been struck by a cyclist in Central Park. At the time, the incident gained local news attention, and a necropsy by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation concluded the bear died from "blunt force injuries consistent with a motor vehicle collision."

In a 2012 Town & Country magazine profile of his daughter Kathleen ("Kick"), she recounted an incident where her father used a chainsaw to sever the head of a dead beached whale in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. She described him strapping the whale's head to their minivan for a five-hour drive home, resulting in "whale juice" pouring into the car windows and people on the highway reacting with disgust. In September 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement announced an investigation into the incident.

6.4. Views on Assassination Events

Kennedy has publicly expressed his beliefs and theories regarding the assassinations of his father and uncle, suggesting the involvement of conspiracies rather than lone gunmen.

On January 11, 2013, during an interview with Charlie Rose in Dallas, Kennedy stated that his father was "fairly convinced" Lee Harvey Oswald had not acted alone in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and that his father believed the Warren Commission report was a "shoddy piece of craftsmanship." RFK Jr. asserted that "The evidence at this point I think is very, very convincing that it was not a lone gunman." He endorsed the 2013 edition of JFK and the Unspeakable, stating it motivated him to visit Dealey Plaza for the first time. In November 2023, he launched a petition on his presidential campaign website urging the Biden administration to release the remaining unredacted documents related to the case, arguing it could help restore trust in the government. In an interview on Lex Fridman's podcast, Kennedy stated that the evidence for the CIA's involvement in the assassination was "beyond any reasonable doubt."

Kennedy does not believe that Sirhan Sirhan fired the shot that killed his father, Robert F. Kennedy. Based on eyewitness testimony, particularly from Paul Schrade who was also shot, and the autopsy findings, he believes there was a second gunman. In December 2017, he visited Sirhan at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and subsequently expressed support for a reinvestigation of the assassination.

6.5. Kennedy Family Pushback

Several members of the Kennedy family have publicly distanced themselves from and criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccination activities and public health conspiracy theories, particularly his controversial comments equating public health measures with Nazi war crimes. On May 8, 2019, his niece Maeve Kennedy McKean and elder siblings Kathleen and Joseph co-authored an open letter stating that while he championed admirable causes, he "has helped to spread dangerous misinformation over social media and is complicit in sowing distrust of the science behind vaccines." They also highlighted the historical support for vaccination from President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy. On December 30, 2020, another niece, Kerry Kennedy Meltzer, a physician, wrote a similar open letter criticizing his misinformation about COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, stated that her family generally supports public health infrastructure, citing the work of Ted Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She openly called Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s views on vaccines "dangerous." On January 28, 2025, Caroline Kennedy publicly denounced him in a letter sent to U.S. senators and a video reading the letter, calling him a "predator" and a "hypocrite" who was unqualified to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She also accused him of animal cruelty and of "encouraging" other family members, like his brother David Kennedy, into substance abuse that led to addiction, illness, and death. Her cousin, Stephen Smith Jr., echoed her sentiment, stating, "I completely support my cousin Caroline's view that R. F. K. Jr is unqualified in terms of experience and character for the role of Secty of HHS."

7. Bibliography and Selected Works

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has authored numerous books spanning environmentalism, biography, and controversial public health topics. Two of his works, The Real Anthony Fauci and Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak, have become New York Times Bestsellers.

7.1. Books

Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr.: A biography (1978)
The Riverkeepers: Two Activists Fight to Reclaim Our Environment as a Basic Human Right (1997), with John Cronin
Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals Are Plundering the Country and Highjacking Our Democracy (2005)
Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak: The Evidence Supporting the Immediate Removal of Mercury-a Known Neurotoxin-from Vaccines (2014)
Framed: Why Michael Skakel Spent Over a Decade in Prison For a Murder He Didn't Commit (2016)
American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family (2018)
Climate in Crisis: Who's Causing It, Who's Fighting It, and How We Can Reverse It Before It's Too Late (2020), with Dick Russell
The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health (2021)
A Letter to Liberals: Censorship and COVID: an Attack on Science and American Ideals (2022)
Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak (2023), with Brian Hooker
The Wuhan Cover-Up: And the Terrifying Bioweapons Arms Race (2023)

7.2. Children's Books

St. Francis of Assisi: A Life of Joy (2004)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s American Heroes: The Story of Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War (2007)
Robert Smalls: The Boat Thief (2008)

8. Assessment and Criticism

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s career and activism have garnered a mixed public and critical reception, marked by both support for his environmental advocacy and significant criticism, particularly for his anti-vaccine stance and promotion of conspiracy theories.

His early work as an environmental lawyer and advocate earned him recognition and numerous awards for his efforts in protecting waterways, advocating for marginalized communities, and challenging corporate polluters. He was instrumental in landmark agreements like the New York City Watershed Agreement and his work inspired the global Waterkeeper Alliance. However, controversies, such as his decision to rehire a convicted wildlife smuggler at Riverkeeper, occasionally shadowed his environmental career.

More recently, Kennedy has become a polarizing figure due to his prominent role in the anti-vaccine movement and his dissemination of various conspiracy theories. His claims, particularly those linking vaccines to autism and alleging conspiracies surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, have been widely debunked by the scientific and medical communities. This shift has led to strong condemnation from public health organizations, scientists, and even his own family members, who have publicly disavowed his views and warned of their dangerous impact on public trust in science and health. Critics argue that his influence has contributed to vaccine hesitancy and negatively affected public health efforts, including during measles outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic.

His 2024 presidential campaign, initially as a Democrat and later as an independent, was largely defined by his embrace of conspiracy theories, leading to him being named PolitiFact's "lie of the year." His eventual endorsement of Donald Trump and his subsequent nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services ignited further widespread criticism from health experts, scientists, and political figures who expressed profound concerns about his suitability for a role overseeing national public health, given his long history of promoting misinformation. His tenure has begun with controversial decisions, including halting flu vaccine ad campaigns and downplaying measles outbreaks, further fueling public debate over his fitness for the office.