Last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial independent presidential candidate, shocked many by suspending his campaign and endorsing Donald Trump.
He announced his endorsement at an Arizona rally after walking out to “My Hero” by Foo Fighters as pyrotechnics blasted behind him. Trump pumped his fist and the crowd chanted his name as he took the stage. His speech can most accurately be summarized by his new slogan—“Make America Healthy Again”— reflecting the environmental and public health related concerns that had initially driven his campaign.
Though this stunt may be surprising to some, this is hardly the most extreme or outlandish act of Bobby Kennedy Jr. He garnered mainstream disapproval for being an “anti-vaxxer,” insisting that vaccines can cause autism, autoimmune disorders, and more in children. He went as far as to call vaccines a “holocaust,” which led to a public disavowal by the Kennedy family. In his personal life, however, RFK Jr.’s hijinks have made him perhaps the most peculiar figure in modern politics.
Aside from his generally “wacky” conspiratorial beliefs, RFK Jr. is also known for his tabloid-worthy escapades. In 2014, for example, he found a bear carcass on a New York highway. Wanting to skin it, he loaded it into his truck. Soon after, however, the carcass began to decompose. Upon realizing this, he took the bear out of his truck and left the carcass in the middle of Central Park (with a bicycle on top of it). This was apparently a prank and staged to look like the bear suffered death by bicycle. This incident combined with that of the more well known dead “brain worm” found in his head have been a spectacle over the course of his campaign.
The Kennedy family has been vocally embarrassed by Bobby Jr.’s behavior and campaign. Nearly all living members of the Kennedy clan have expressed their disapproval with varying levels of condemnation, but one family member’s opinion stands out in particular. It seems as though the only Kennedy that could stand up to RFK Jr. is one that can match his eccentricity.
John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, is a Harvard law grad, political correspondent for Vogue, and self-proclaimed “silly goose.” Schlossberg has not held back from criticizing his cousin. Between videos of himself reciting poetry on a hoverboard and moonwalking in a Walmart, he makes scathing criticisms of RFK Jr.’s campaign.
“He’s trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories, and conflict for personal gain and fame,” Schlossberg said in a TikTok. “I’ve listened to him, I know him, I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be president…. His candidacy is an embarrassment.”
Schlossberg has publicly supported the Kamala Harris campaign throughout the lead up to the election, even speaking at the DNC this month. His main mission is to engage young voters and get us excited about voting. So, inspired by the absurdity and chaos of this past month, get out and vote this November!
