JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy can barely bring herself to remember her cousin RFK Jr.’s name. to speak out after Trump’s victory in the American elections
The daughter of assassinated President John F. Kennedy has criticized the “dangerous” views of her right-wing, anti-vaxxer cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a speech to the Australian media. convicted.
The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, initially refused even to mention RFK Jr by name when she addressed the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday.
A reporter asked Kennedy whether Australia should worry about sharing intelligence with the US after Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was alleged to have ties to Russia.
“Let’s see what happens with President Trump’s appointments,” Kennedy said.
‘They have caused a lot of commotion, front page news. Another one has been nominated for Health and Human Services.”
The audience laughed at her dismissive calling of her cousin “another” after President-elect Trump picked RFK Jr to head the top US department, which also oversees vaccines.
But Mrs. Kennedy went even further soon after when she was asked directly about RFK Jr.’s controversial views. on vaccines and whether his proposed role in the Trump administration could make them more mainstream.
In a break with convention – where ambassadors are not allowed to comment on domestic political divisions – she gave a candid assessment of her family member.
The US ambassador to Australia initially declined to mention RFK Jr by name
RFK Jr has made bizarre health claims, including that a worm ‘ate’ part of his brain
“I’m a sitting ambassador and I’m not supposed to comment on politics, but, um, now you’re asking me to also comment on families – that’s really a lot,” she said.
“Yes, I think Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous.
“But I don’t think most Americans share them, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
“I grew up with him, so I’ve known all this for a long time and others are just now getting to know him.”
She said her family was united in their support of the US public health sector, but her cousin had “different views.”
“My uncle, Teddy [Kennedy]has fought for affordable health care in the Senate for fifty years, and it’s something our entire family is so proud of.
“The Affordable Care Act is based on the work my uncle did for years.”
She added: “I would say that our family is united in terms of our support of the public health sector and infrastructure, and has the utmost admiration for the medical profession in our country.
“And Bobby Kennedy has a different opinion.”
Robert F Kennedy Jr., who abandoned his own bid for president as an independent to support Trump, is an outspoken anti-vaxxer.
He has made bizarre health claims over the years, including that the worm “eats” part of his brain, chemicals in water cause children to question their gender identity and vaccines cause autism.
The wild statement about the worm in his brain was revealed in his divorce proceedings documents, following his split from Mary Richardson in 2012.
He also falsely claimed Covid vaccines had killed more people than all jabs ‘over the last thirty years’, which experts called an ‘inaccurate representation of data’.
Experts fear that his appointment, and the potential policies that could be introduced, could have consequences far beyond US shores, for example with regard to vaccination rates.
Caroline Kennedy is the only surviving child of US President John F. Kennedy. RFK Jr. is her cousin and the son of John F. Kennedy’s brother, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
