Filmmaker Rory Kennedy Joins Siblings to Denounce Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Independent Presidential Run

White House hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday a decision to switch parties in his presidential bid by exiting the Democratic party and running as a third party Independent. The move — revealed during a rally held outside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia that featured remarks by his actress wife Cheryl Hines of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame — was quickly denounced by members of his own family.

“The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country,” reads a post shared on Instagram by his sister, Oscar nominated documentarian Rory Kennedy.

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The sister of RFK Jr. is well known in Hollywood circles for her work on films including Ethel from 2012 about her mother Ethel Kennedy, the nominated Last Days in Vietnam in 2014, and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib in 2007. The post was signed by Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, honorable Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a group that totals four of the 11 children shared by Ethel and Robert Kennedy.

“The Democrats are frightened that I’m going to spoil the election for President Biden, and the Republicans are frightened that I’m going to spoil it for Trump,” said RFK Jr. at the rally. “The truth is, they’re both right. My intention is to spoil it for both of them.”

RFK Jr. has emerged as a controversial candidate for routinely sharing anti-vaccine views, misinformation and conspiracy theories. According to FiveThirtyEight’s recent polling, RFK Jr. had received about 15.3 percent of the vote in Democratic primary polls to President Joe Biden’s 60.1 percent as of today.

The comments section under Rory Kennedy’s Instagram post features support from entertainment industry insiders. “Good for u — I agree,” commented Rosie O’Donnell. Oscar nominated A Star is Born producer Lynette Howell Taylor shared, “Publicly going against family cannot be easy but we deeply, deeply appreciate this post.” Sex and the City writer-producer Amy Harris also chimed in, posting, “I know this must have been a hard decision to publicly denouce your brother but I thank you and your siblings for standing up and speaking out.”

The Republication National Committee also swatted back at RFK Jr.’s decision. “Make no mistake — a Democrat in Independent’s clothing is still a Democrat. RFK Jr. cannot hide from his record of endorsing [Hillary Clinton], supporting the Green New Deal, fighting against the Keystone Pipeline, and praising [Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s] tax hikes — he is your typical elitist liberal and voters won’t be fooled,” reads the committee’s official statement.

But not everyone criticized the party swap. “The family should stand behind him, he is what this country needs,” commented Life Stories Productions, a user with ties to creative director Denise Marie. “If you don’t believe that, you must believe in the Democrats who are ruining our country.”

Monday’s rally, presented with the theme “Declare Your Independence,” featured comments by Hines, who has regularly turned up at the podium in support of her husband who, despite coming from a family of politicians, has never held public office. Hines praised his work as an environmental attorney in standing up to the likes of Monsanto as evidence that he fights against “corrupt corporations” in favor of working class Americans.

“One day you’re going to look back on this day and you’re going to say, ‘I was there on that day when something really special happened,” Hines said in kicking off her remarks. “It’s interesting because I’ve been traveling around with Bobby across the country and something’s been happening that I’ve never seen happen before. He draws crowds and they are full of Democrats, Republicans and independents, all in one place. What that’s telling me is that Americans want to work together. They want someone to bring them together and make this country better. So that’s what Bobby is ready to do. He is ready to fight for the working class American. He’s been doing it all his life.”

RFK Jr. has not yet responded to his family’s statement though Hines said her husband embraces challenges. “One thing I know about Bobby is if he hears that can’t be done or you can’t do it, it only sparks a fire in him and makes him fight harder.”

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