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{{Image|Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (33367298132).jpg|right|350px|Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in 2017.}}
'''Robert F. Kennedy Jr.''' (1954 - ?) is an American environmental lawyer who since 2005 has promoted a scientifically discredited theory about a link between vaccines and autism.<ref name="mnookin-2017" /><ref name="Smith_12/15/2021" />  He is the son of assassinated U.S. attorney general [[Robert F. Kennedy]] and is capitalizing on his famous name by running for president in 2024 as a Democrat and presenting an appealing image styled after his popular father, while embarrassing his family<ref name=nosupport /> for promoting paranoid and unscientific conspiracy theories about public health.<ref name="mnookin-2017" /><ref name="NBC_2021-03-11" />


'''Robert F. Kennedy Jr.''' (1954 - ?), also known by his initials '''RFK Jr.''', is an American environmental lawyer and author who is known for promoting anti-vaccine propaganda,<ref name="mnookin-2017" /><ref name="NBC_2021-03-11" />  Kennedy is a son of U.S. attorney general and senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]] and nephew of U.S. president [[John F. Kennedy]].  Kennedy's own family has tried to disassociate themselves from him due to his pushing of various unfounded conspiracy theories.
Kennedy, Jr. had a distinguished career as en environmental lawyer, graduating from [[Harvard University]] and obtaining a law degree from the [[University of Virginia]]. He began as an assistant district attorney in New York City. In the mid-1980s, he joined [[Riverkeeper]] and the [[Natural Resources Defense Council]] (NRDC), two environmental protection non-profits, and became an adjunct professor of environmental law at [[Pace University School of Law]], founding the Pace Law School's Environmental Litigation Clinic, where he remained until 2017.  He also founded the non-profit environmental group [[Waterkeeper Alliance]].


After growing up in the [[Washington, D.C. area]] and [[Massachusetts]], he graduated from [[Harvard University]] and obtained a J.D. degree from the [[University of Virginia]]. Kennedy began his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City. In 1984, he joined [[Riverkeeper]] and the [[Natural Resources Defense Council]] (NRDC) in 1986, two non-profits focused on environmental protection.  He became an adjunct professor of [[environmental law]] at [[Pace University School of Law]] in 1986.  In 1987, he founded the Pace Law School's Environmental Litigation Clinic, where he held the post of supervising attorney and co-director until 2017. He founded the non-profit environmental group [[Waterkeeper Alliance]] in 1999, serving as the president of its board.
Kennedy, Jr.'s public health criticisms and writings often targeted prominent figures such as [[Anthony Fauci]], [[Bill Gates]], and [[Joe Biden]]. He has co-hosted ''[[Ring of Fire (radio program)|Ring of Fire]]'', a nationally syndicated radio program. He has written books including ''[[The Real Anthony Fauci]]'' in 2021 and ''[[A Letter to Liberals]]'' in 2022. In July 2023, Kennedy, Jr. created an entirely new conspiracy theory about the origins of COVID-19; at a private fund-raiser in [[New York City]], he said: "“There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. Covid-19 attacks certain races disproportionately.  Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”<ref name=targets />
 
Since 2005, he has promoted the scientifically discredited link between vaccines and autism,<ref name="mnookin-2017">{{Cite web|last=Mnookin|first=Seth|date=January 11, 2017|title=How Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Distorted Vaccine Science|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112025044/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/|archive-date=January 12, 2017|website=[[Scientific American]]|language=en |quote=For more than a decade, Kennedy has promoted anti-vaccine propaganda completely unconnected to reality.}}</ref> and is founder and chairman of [[Children's Health Defense]], an anti-vaccine advocacy group.<ref name="Smith_12/15/2021" /><ref name="KW"/> Since the onset of [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|the COVID-19 pandemic]], Kennedy has emerged as a leading proponent of [[COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy|COVID-19 vaccine misinformation]] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Nagourney |date=February 26, 2022 |title=A Kennedy's Crusade Against Covid Vaccines Anguishes Family and Friends |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/us/robert-kennedy-covid-vaccine.html |access-date=April 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228163440/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/us/robert-kennedy-covid-vaccine.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Smith_12/15/2021" /> Much of Kennedy's public health criticisms and writings have targeted prominent figures such as [[Anthony Fauci]], [[Bill Gates]], and [[Joe Biden]]. He has co-hosted ''[[Ring of Fire (radio program)|Ring of Fire]]'', a nationally syndicated radio program. He has written books including ''[[The Real Anthony Fauci]]'' in 2021 and ''[[A Letter to Liberals]]'' in 2022.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
<references>
<references>


<ref name="NBC_2021-03-11">{{cite web |last1=Zadrozny |first1=Brandy |author-link1=Brandy Zadrozny |date=March 11, 2021 |title=Covid's devastation of Black community used as 'marketing' in new anti-vaccine film |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318224620/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |publisher=NBC News |quote=The video{{snd}}the newest in a series of anti-vaccine propaganda films produced or promoted by Kennedy{{snd}}was distributed through Kennedy's organization, Children's Health Defense,}}</ref>
<ref name="mnookin-2017">{{Cite web|last=Mnookin|first=Seth|date=January 11, 2017|title=How Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Distorted Vaccine Science|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112025044/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/|archive-date=January 12, 2017|website=[[Scientific American]]|language=en |quote=For more than a decade, Kennedy has promoted anti-vaccine propaganda completely unconnected to reality.}}</ref>
 
<ref name="NBC_2021-03-11">
{{cite web |last1=Zadrozny |first1=Brandy |author-link1=Brandy Zadrozny |date=March 11, 2021 |title=Covid's devastation of Black community used as 'marketing' in new anti-vaccine film |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318224620/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |publisher=NBC News |quote=The video the newest in a series of anti-vaccine propaganda films produced or promoted by Kennedy was distributed through Kennedy's organization, Children's Health Defense,}}
</ref>
 
<ref name="Smith_12/15/2021">
{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Michelle R. |date=December 15, 2021 |title=How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19 |url=https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e |access-date=April 1, 2023 |publisher=Associated Press |language=en |quote=Dr. Richard Allen Williams, a cardiologist, professor of medicine at UCLA and founder of the Minority Health Institute, said Kennedy is leading 'a propaganda movement'|archive-date=December 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218203449/https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
<ref name=targets>
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/15/robert-kennedy-jr-covid-conspiracy/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests covid was designed to spare Jews, Chinese people], Washington Post, July 15, 2023.
</ref>
 
<ref name=nosupport>
[https://www.businessinsider.com/kennedy-family-not-supporting-robert-f-kennedy-jrs-2024-bid-2023-4 Members of the Kennedy dynasty explain why they will not support anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential bid against Biden], by Alia Shoaib, Slate, Apr 22, 2023.
</ref>


</references>
</references>
[[Category:Living Person]]

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in 2017.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (1954 - ?) is an American environmental lawyer who since 2005 has promoted a scientifically discredited theory about a link between vaccines and autism.[1][2] He is the son of assassinated U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and is capitalizing on his famous name by running for president in 2024 as a Democrat and presenting an appealing image styled after his popular father, while embarrassing his family[3] for promoting paranoid and unscientific conspiracy theories about public health.[1][4]

Kennedy, Jr. had a distinguished career as en environmental lawyer, graduating from Harvard University and obtaining a law degree from the University of Virginia. He began as an assistant district attorney in New York City. In the mid-1980s, he joined Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), two environmental protection non-profits, and became an adjunct professor of environmental law at Pace University School of Law, founding the Pace Law School's Environmental Litigation Clinic, where he remained until 2017. He also founded the non-profit environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance.

Kennedy, Jr.'s public health criticisms and writings often targeted prominent figures such as Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, and Joe Biden. He has co-hosted Ring of Fire, a nationally syndicated radio program. He has written books including The Real Anthony Fauci in 2021 and A Letter to Liberals in 2022. In July 2023, Kennedy, Jr. created an entirely new conspiracy theory about the origins of COVID-19; at a private fund-raiser in New York City, he said: "“There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. Covid-19 attacks certain races disproportionately. Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mnookin, Seth (January 11, 2017). How Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Distorted Vaccine Science (en). “For more than a decade, Kennedy has promoted anti-vaccine propaganda completely unconnected to reality.”
  2. ↑ Smith, Michelle R.. How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19, Associated Press, December 15, 2021. (in en) “Dr. Richard Allen Williams, a cardiologist, professor of medicine at UCLA and founder of the Minority Health Institute, said Kennedy is leading 'a propaganda movement'”
  3. ↑ Members of the Kennedy dynasty explain why they will not support anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential bid against Biden, by Alia Shoaib, Slate, Apr 22, 2023.
  4. ↑ Covid's devastation of Black community used as 'marketing' in new anti-vaccine film. NBC News (March 11, 2021). “The video the newest in a series of anti-vaccine propaganda films produced or promoted by Kennedy was distributed through Kennedy's organization, Children's Health Defense,”
  5. ↑ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests covid was designed to spare Jews, Chinese people, Washington Post, July 15, 2023.
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