RFK Jr. Acknowledges His Family 'Just Plain Disagrees' with Him Amid Presidential Bid: 'I Love Them Back'

The nephew of late President John F. Kennedy and son of late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy also acknowledged that his family members have "long personal relationships" with President Joe Biden

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledges that he and his family members don't always see eye-to-eye on Wednesday, saying in his first official press conference as a presidential candidate that some of them "just plain disagree" with his views.

The 69-year-old nephew of late President John F. Kennedy and son of late U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy also acknowledged that his family members have "long personal relationships" with President Joe Biden, who is also expected to run for the presidency in 2024.

"My whole family including myself have long personal relationships with President Biden ... and many of them just plain disagree with me on issues like censorship and war and public health," Kennedy added. "They are entitled to their beliefs...and I love them back."

The Kennedys have, throughout the past several decades, connected with Biden on multiple fronts, including over their shared Catholic faith, familiarity with loss and, of course, political influence.

In July 2022, Biden appointed JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Australia.

And earlier this month, Biden made a special phone call from Air Force One, calling Kennedy family matriarch Ethel Kennedy — the widow of Robert F. Kennedy — to wish her a happy 95th birthday.

Related:Cheryl Hines Releases First Statement on Husband RFK Jr.'s 2024 Presidential Run: 'I Support His Decision'

RFK Jr. made his official announcement regarding his presidential campaign at a noon press conference on Wednesday in Boston.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines, said she was supportive of her husband's run.

"My husband, Robert Kennedy Jr. announced today he will be running for President and I support his decision," Hines, 57, said in the statement. "He is a fearless leader who understands the needs of the American people and has devoted his life fighting for democracy."

Kennedy thanked his wife for the support in his Wednesday speech, saying, "I can not describe in words what" she has brought to his life.

"I think when the American people get to know her, they are going to be more excited about having a really funny first lady in the White House," he added.

Kennedy also added a thank you to his five children, joking there were so many he "told them to wear name tags."

Related:Biden 'Hugely Popular' Among Kennedy Relatives, Says Source, as RFK Jr. Launches 2024 Campaign (Exclusive)

RFK Jr. filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run as a Democratic candidate for president in 2024 earlier this month. Kennedy's father was assassinated while seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968.

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Already, some in his family have expressed a desire to keep their distance from his campaign.

In a statement released by his sister Kerry, she appeared unsupportive of his political aspirations, writing, "I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, and the role of social media platforms in policing false information."

She also made clear that, though he shares a name with RFK, Bobby Jr.'s views do not reflect "or influence" the work of RFK Human Rights, the organization she named for her father.

Bobby Jr.'s youngest brother, Doug Kennedy, a correspondent for FOX News Channel, told PEOPLE last week that his brother "has immense political talent," but that while he's loved in the family, "not everyone agrees with his positions."

In recent years, Bobby Jr., an environmental lawyer, has ostracized himself for becoming a vocal anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, spreading misinformation about vaccinations long before — and during — the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bobby Jr. has also criticized the U.S. government and U.S. former top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci's handling of the pandemic, releasing a 2021 book called The Real Anthony Fauci that accused the doctor of assisting in "a historic coup d'etat against Western democracy."

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