Who is Robert Kennedy Jr, independent candidate for the US presidency and nephew of the historic John F. Kennedy?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been campaigning as an independent candidate for the presidency. JFK’s nephew is an anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. threw his hat into the ring for the US presidential election late last year, announcing his break with the Democratic Party to launch his long-shot independent bid challenging incumbent President Joe Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for the highest post in the land.
The candidate is part of the Kennedy political dynasty- son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, a former US Attorney General, and nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy.
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Who is Robert Kennedy Jr, independent candidate for the US presidency and nephew of the historic John F. Kennedy?
RFK Jr. was born on Jan. 17, 1954 in Washington DC, the third of eleven children. He ran into some trouble involving drugs in his early life. He was expelled from boarding school for drug use, then was convicted for heroin possession after initially failing the bar exam.
As part of the conditions of his probation, he volunteered for the non-profit advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council. After he passed the New York bar, he began a career in environmental advocacy, particularly in the areas of water quality and air pollution.
The 70-year-old lawyer is the founder and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit environmental group that aims to protect and preserve waterways all over the world.
Kennedy: leading anti-vaxxer
Kennedy’s environmental advocacy is overshadowed by his stance on vaccines. Kennedy is a leading figure in the anti-vaccination movement, a position that has been controversial and widely criticized by the scientific community. He has been banned by Instagram and YouTube for spreading misinformation about vaccines and the covid-19 pandemic.
He founded and heads Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vax propaganda organization which criticized measures such as social distancing during the height of the pandemic.
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Kennedy’s long-shot campaign
Kennedy is not believed to have a good chance of winning the presidency, as independents have historically had difficulties garnering support in presidential elections.
However, his campaign could be used as a way to promote claims that childhood vaccinations are bad for the health of children- speculations that many scientific studies have disproven.
One result of his anti-vax stance is that it has won him some right-wing allies. Then-President Donald Trump named him overseer to a vaccine review panel in 2017. Scientists criticized the move, saying that it could serve to legitimize unfounded conspiracy theories.
RFK Jr. has said he will announce his running mate later this month. The New York Times reports that he is considering NFL quarterback and fellow anti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers and former governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura for the position.