Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, sharp critic of the Covid-19 vaccines, and the nephew of 35th President John F. Kennedy, has launched a campaign for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, challenging incumbent Joe Biden.
Kennedy’s campaign filed official paperwork, naming a campaign treasurer and setting in motion a move to deny Biden the Democratic Nomination.
A scion of the famed family bearing his name, Kennedy is also the son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who like his brother was assassinated. Robert F. Kennedy Sr. was shot in 1968 while successfully campaigning for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President.
Gage Skidmore / Flickr / Edited
In March, Kennedy wrote on Twitter that he was considering a run for the White House, and suggested he would only throw his hat in the ring with a viable path to victory.
“If it looks like I can raise the money and mobilize enough people to win, I’ll jump in the race,” said Kennedy, advertising his prospective campaign.
He promised, “If I run, my top priority will be to end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power that has ruined our economy, shattered the middle class, polluted our landscapes and waters, poisoned our children, and robbed us of our values and freedoms.”
Help me decide whether to run for President. Visit https://t.co/EX83yh9O4O to volunteer or contribute. If it looks like I can raise the money and mobilize enough people to win, I’ll jump in the race. If I run, my top priority will be to end the corrupt https://t.co/ujEHehub9T…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 10, 2023
Kennedy’s campaign is reported to focus, largely, on the issue of vaccine safety. A leading proponent of the vaccine skeptic and safety movement, Kennedy has been decried by scores of public health professionals who insist that all approved vaccines are safe and effective.
Though a public fixture in the anti-vaccine movement for more than 15 years, Kennedy’s entrance into politics comes amid increased scrutiny over the events behind his uncle’s death.
As recently as December, Fox News host Tucker Carlson reported that sources with access to secret CIA documents related to the death of President Kennedy told his show: “‘The answer is yes. I believe they were involved. It’s a whole different country from what we thought it was. It’s all fake.’”
