Kennedy Family Members Speak Out Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Antisemitic Comments

Several Kennedy family members have condemned remarks by one of their own, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In comments published by the New York Post, RJK Jr., a current Democratic presidential candidate and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, suggested that COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to spare Ashkenazi Jews and people of Chinese descent. "COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately," he said. "COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese."

His sister Kerry Kennedy said in a statement, "I strongly condemn my brother's deplorable and untruthful remarks last week about Covid being engineered for ethnic targeting." She added, "His statements do not represent what I believe or what Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights stand for, with our 50+-year track record of protecting rights and standing against racism and all forms of discrimination."

His brother, Joseph Kennedy II, similarly put out a statement denouncing the remarks, telling the Boston Globe: "Bobby's comments are morally and factually wrong. They play on antisemitic myths and stoke mistrust of the Chinese. His remarks in no way reflect the words and actions of our father, Robert F. Kennedy." His nephew, Joseph Kennedy III, also spoke out, writing on Twitter, "My uncle’s comments were hurtful and wrong. I unequivocally condemn what he said."

This is not Kennedy's first foray into antisemitic theories, nor the first time his family has spoken out against him. Last year, he suggested unvaccinated Americans were worse off than Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who was murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. He later apologized, tweeting, "My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control."

It wasn't just Kennedys who spoke out against his recent comments. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called his claims "false" and "vile" during a press briefing yesterday. She added, "They put our fellow Americans in danger. If you think about the racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories that come out of saying those type of things, it's an attack on our fellow citizens."

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