When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stole a TV ad from the 1960 campaign that lifted his uncle to the presidency and re-purposed it during the Super Bowl to kick off his own third-party presidential bid, the angry Kennedy clan reacted swiftly.
MORE: Feuding Kennedys: Which ones are supporting RFK Jr.?
They were livid that RFK Jr., an anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist who has been caught making anti-Semitic remarks, would feel entitled by DNA to attach himself to one of the most beloved presidents in the nation’s history — a president, his family members point out, with whom he shares a bloodline but little else.
Before the night was over, RFK Jr. publicly apologized: “I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” he posted on “X,” formerly known as Twitter. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”
Nevertheless, the battle lines, if they hadn’t already been drawn, we set.
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Kennedy’s candidacy looms as a potential political spoiler for President Joe Biden, and the thought that a Kennedy could help Republican nominee Donald Trump back into the White House has the family outraged. Some members of the family already have issued statements rejecting RFK Jr. and backing Biden in the November election.
A gathering of dozens of Kennedys at the White House last weekend signaled the start of a more active and vocal effort by the family to boost Biden’s re-election and cut the knees out from under RFK Jr.
Kennedy is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy.
“There was a point of having everybody there,” a senior member of the Kennedy family told NBC of their gathering at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day. The visit, which was captured in a photograph with Biden on the steps of the Rose Garden, included three generations and four branches of RFK Jr.’s relatives.
When it comes to potential future interactions with Biden, the senior member of the Kennedy family added: “I think timing is everything.”
According to NBC:
People close to the family say the Kennedys’ stepped-up engagement in the 2024 race could take on different forms. Some family members who have been involved in politics themselves expect to spend time on the campaign trail this fall, especially in states where RFK Jr. qualifies for the ballot. For others, it could be stepping up media appearances or lending their revered family name to initiatives that aim to counter their relative’s campaign, potentially even legal challenges to his ballot access campaign.
It’s an effort the White House and the Biden campaign are welcoming, though not directing themselves. Multiple sources familiar with the family’s advocacy say the Biden team is letting the Kennedys take the lead on helping the president’s candidacy and then working to support them as needed.
Kerry Kennedy, the seventh of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children and president of the family foundation, has played a lead role in organizing the family’s political work against the RFK Jr., 70.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni said. “It’s telling that the people who know RFK Jr. best are standing with Joe Biden in this election.”
Stephen Kennedy Smith warned that his cousin could hand the election to Trump and put “our democratic process at risk.”
“This is a mistake we can not afford as a country,” he wrote. “Our family has always worked together, so it’s difficult to speak out against a family member. But when RFK Jr decided to run he didn’t call me to ask for help because he knew I would oppose his candidacy due to his misguided stands on issues, his poor judgement, and tenuous relationship with the truth.”
Kennedy said he will announce his vice presidential running mate on March 26. Those reportedly being considered include former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura; U.S. Sen. Rand Paul; Nicole Shanahan, ex-wife of a Google co-founder; former Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard; and former presidential and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. Jets’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ name has been floated, but only as a publicity stunt, political consultants have said.
