COVID-19

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Launches 2024 Presidential Bid

APR 20 2023·Updated APR 21 2023

Story

Image credit: AP [via CBS News]

The Facts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — nephew of former US Pres. John F. Kennedy and son of former attorney general and 1968 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, both killed in high-profile assassinations — launched his 2024 presidential bid in Boston on Wednesday.
CBS News
The 69-year-old environmental lawyer rose to prominence in some circles as a critic of the COVID vaccinations. However, others, including social media firms, allege he and his charity — Children's Health Defense — spread vaccine misinformation.
FOX News
Taking the stage at the Park Plaza Hotel, Kennedy outlined his goal to "end the corrupt merger of state and corporate power that is threatening now to impose a new kind of corporate feudalism on our country."
FOX News
In the nearly two-hour speech, Kennedy criticized former Pres. Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic, describing lockdowns imposed by his administration as "the worst thing that he did to this country." He pledged to heal the polarization that he says has riddled America, as well as the "chronic disease epidemic."
FOX News
He joins the field for the Democratic primary against Pres. Joe Biden, who has not yet formally announced his re-election bid, and self-help author Marianne Williamson.
USA Today
In an early poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University, 67% said they would back Biden, while Kennedy gained 14%. Williamson gained 5%, while 13% said they were undecided at this stage.
USA Today

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Kennedy's chances may be outside odds, however, the power of his family's name is undisputed. He has spent his life fighting for clean air and energy against corporate greed, and with many Americans preferring Biden to step aside, Kennedy's political ambition may have legs.

Press

Narrative B

Kennedy has been publicly denounced by public health experts and even members of his own family as promulgating dangerously misleading — and offensive — information. This isn't a man that should become the Democratic nominee for president. In fact, his ties to right-wing operatives and power brokers must be closely scrutinized.