In april 2023 he launched a campaign seeking the democratic party’s nomination for the united states presidential election of 2024 bu. Special offer for students! See full list on britannica. com I believe in racial justice, in policies that are going to actually help the lowest people on the totem pole. ” Kennedy ) and finally u. s. In 2005 he penned an op-ed article in rolling stone and salon that purported a link between autism and thimerosal, a mercury-containing antiseptic used in some vaccines. In 2001 he was arrested on vieques island, puerto rico, for trespassing while taking part in a protest against bombing exercises that the u. s. Presidential election of 2024, challenging the incumbent pres. Bush and his corporate pals are plundering the country and hijacking our democracy in 2004. Yahoo is using openai to generate summaries for this content. That same year, his instagram account was suspended for repeatedly sharing posts related to debunked claims about vaccines and covid-19. He first married emily black, with whom he had studied at law school, in 1982 and the couple had two children, robert and kathleen. 16, 2025, where president donald trump delivered remarks in the oval office of the white house. He later stated that sirhan sirhan, who was found guilty of his father’s murder in 1968, was wrongly convicted. In 1999 time magazine profiled their work and named them “heroes for the planet. ” kennedy also launched the waterkeeper alliance, a clean water advocacy group, that same year. He initially polled well among democratic voters as a result of the popularity of the kennedy family, but support declined rapidly as media coverage raised awareness of his controversial policy initiatives. Carried on his family’s legacy of public service by devoting himself to environmental causes and children’s welfare. In 2021 he and his brother douglas supported the recommendation for sirhan’s parole, in disagreement with their other siblings and their mother, ethel kennedy. The group had struggled to find much support, but kennedy ’s clout and connections brought it an explosion of revenue and attention. In 2013 he was arrested in washington, d. c. , while protesting the keystone xl pipeline, which was opposed by many indigenous groups in the united states and canada. In 1997 kennedy had a leading role in one of riverkeeper’s most significant achievements, the negotiation of the new york city watershed memorandum of agreement. He attended harvard university, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in american history and literature in 1976. The evidence supporting the immediate removal of mercury—a known neurotoxin—from vaccines (2014) and a letter to liberals: Highly critical of george w. Kennedy jr. , john f. · biography – robert f. By the early 2000s, kennedy had emerged as a prominent ally in environmental and human rights issues. In 2013 he questioned the warren commission’s findings on the assassination of his uncle, john f. Is the nephew of america’s 35th president, john f. He also attended the london school of economics and political science. In 1987 he received a master’s degree in environmental law at pace university, where that year he also cofounded a litigation clinic that focused on environmental cases. He became dedicated to environmental causes, serving as riverkeeper’s chief prosecuting attorney and as senior attorney for the natural resources defense council. Kennedy , in 1963. I think it’s beyond a reasonable doubt at this point. ” Kennedy human rights after her husband was assassinated while campaigning for president in 1968. Kennedy ’s comments on vaccines and public health attracted the most controversy. Kennedy has married three times and had six children with his first two wives. Attended various boarding schools growing up. During his probation, kennedy volunteered with the hudson river fishermen’s association (now known as riverkeeper), a nonprofit organization devoted to cleaning up the hudson river and taking legal action against government and corporate entities that have polluted it. In july he was criticized for suggesting that the covid-19 virus may have been engineered to target caucasians and black people and that ashkenazi jews and chinese were notably “most immune. ” after the fallout, he said his statements had been misinterpreted. Click on a trending topic to learn more about it. An attack on science and american ideals (2022). (born ), also known by his initials rfk jr. , is an american politician, environmental lawyer, author, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist serving as the 26th united states secretary of health and human services since 2025. In 2023 he claimed in an interview on new york’s 77 wabc radio: In 2011 salon issued a retraction that said the theory had been thoroughly debunked in the years that followed the article’s publication and that the theory, which kennedy has continued to endorse despite research pointing overwhelmingly to the contrary, had become “dangerous” to propagate. Went on to become u. s. Joe biden for the democratic party’s nomination. Robert francis kennedy jr. Senator of new york. Kennedy sometimes expressed views that put him at odds with other left-wing activists as well as mainstream democrats and members of the kennedy family. Check out our special academic rate and excel this spring semester! Kennedy ’s] murder. Ai-generated content sometimes contains inaccurate or incomplete information. “i’m a kennedy democrat. Kennedy , jr. , arrives on stage at the inaugural make america healthy again summit at the waldorf astoria, nov. Kennedy is the third of 11 children born to robert f. In 2016 kennedy became chief legal counsel and board chair for the world mercury project, an organization founded in 2007 to promote the theory of a link between autism and thimerosal. The agreement essentially protected the reservoir system of upstate new york and thereby the quality of new york city’s drinking water. Kennedy ’s campaign likewise attracted support from a limited number of donors on either side of the aisle. Bush and democratic candidate john kerry had been rigged by the republican party. During the covid-19 pandemic, kennedy frequently promoted misinformation about the covid-19 vaccines, claiming they caused injuries and death. Kennedy has espoused baseless, controversial views related to vaccines and public health. “there is overwhelming evidence that the cia was involved in [john f. The article ignored data that indicated otherwise, and it was later removed from the publications’ websites. Attorney general (serving his brother pres. (the account was reinstated in june 2023. ) 12, 2025, in washington. 1984–2022) in the first years of the pandemic, and the bill & melinda gates foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes immunization efforts worldwide, were trying to profit off the pandemic. Kennedy seemed fine with that characterization in announcing his change of plans, saying at a rally “my intention is to spoil it for both of them. ” In 2006 he alleged that the u. s. Nonetheless, kennedy appeared to be out of touch with mainstream democrats, and in july 2023 he polled much more favorably among republicans. After his father’s death, he struggled with drug abuse, which led to his arrest for marijuana possession at age 16 and his expulsion from two boarding schools. They divorced in 1994, and shortly afterward kennedy married a friend of one of his sisters, mary kathleen richardson, who was pregnant wit. Politics, rfk, jr. Bill gates, big pharma, and the global war on democracy and public health. Presidential election of 2004 between republican incumbent george w. Censorship and covid: Navy was conducting on the island. When asked where he fits into the democratic party, he answered: With his decision to run as an independent, kennedy could be seen as playing the spoiler in the likely rematch between biden and former president donald trump. · health and human services secretary robert f. Kennedy frequently represented indigenous groups in lawsuits involving treaties and conservation efforts. Kennedys nephew, was nominated as hhs secretary in trumps cabinet. He also advanced theories that anthony fauci, the director of the national institute of allergy and infectious disease (niaid; He also participated in protests against the dakota access pipeline at the standing rock reservation in 2016. I believe in a strong, robust middle class. His father was a counsel with the senate permanent subcommittee on investigations at the time of kennedy ’s birth. · starting in 1985 as an attorney for the environmental nonprofit riverkeeper, he eventually became one of the most influential environmentalists in the united states, focusing especially on the impact of pollution on human health and the conservation of healthy ecosystems. (born , washington, d. c. , u. s. ) american environmental lawyer , member of the prominent kennedy political family, and activist who became a leading figure among vaccine skeptics. Kennedy, and the son of his attorney general robert f. She became a strong advocate for human rights, founding the nonprofit organization robert f. In 2018 the organization was given a more palatable name, children’s health defense, and a rearticulated mission to “end childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures. ” kennedy also wrote numerous books related to anti-vaccine activism, including thimerosal: Attends an event on oct. In april 2023 kennedy announced his candidacy for the u. s. He was also among the plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the navy on behalf of the island’s residents. Kennedy and ethel skakel kennedy. I believe in labor unions. Let the science speak: Health and human services secretary robert f. Kennedy jr. ’s mother came from a wealthy family who had built its fortune in the coal industry. That same month, in an interview with the new yorker, he insisted that he was not anti-vaccine but wanted “good testing for vaccines,” without qualifying how he believed current testing measures fall short of his standard.