‘An unqualified predator’: Will Caroline Kennedy’s attack on RFK make an impact?

Read time: 4 mins

In brief…

• Caroline Kennedy has described her cousin as a “predator”, and says the US healthcare system, and the US population, “deserve better” than RFK in such a senior role.
• The News Agents say what stands out most about Kennedy’s attack on her cousin is how out-of-step it appears compared with the “acquiescence” in America to Trump’s second presidency.
• They say that if RFK’s confirmation hearing is successful, it will mark a moment for the conspiracy theory movement, as one of its biggest voices claims one of the most important jobs in America.

What’s the story?

For some of us, cousins are just relatives we see at Christmas.

For others, they are people with intimate knowledge of your background and beliefs that could derail the career opportunity of a lifetime.

That’s the position Robert F Kennedy finds himself in, with his cousin Caroline Kennedy (daughter of assassinated former president John F Kennedy), having described him as a “predator”, and “unqualified” for the role of secretary of health and human services, for which he has been nominated by President Trump.

In his time, RFK has blamed vaccines for causing autism in children, said Covid-19 doesn’t target Jewish or Chinese people, promoted drinking unpasteurised milk, claimed 5G causes cancer, said HIV does not cause AIDS, advocated to have fluoride removed from water, blamed mass shootings on mental health medication and much more.

She has shared a six-minute video outlining her objection to him taking the role in Trump’s new administration, sharing both professional concerns and her experiences as a member of his family.

“The remarkable thing about listening to Caroline Kennedy is not that she's opposing her first cousin, not that she's talking down his fitness for office, but it's just so jarring with the present mood in America,” says Jon Sopel, describing this as one of “acquiescence”.

“The mood is that Donald Trump can do what he wants, can have what he wants, can appoint who he wants.

“Caroline Kennedy has put herself out on a limb by saying what she has.”

What has Caroline Kennedy said?

Kennedy says she previously stayed silent due to her government role as the US ambassador to Australia, but now feels "obliged" to speak out.

She says RFK is "unqualified" for the role of secretary of health and human services, as he lacks the medical or financial management experience.

"His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed," she says – referring to his outspoken anti-vaxx stance, and criticism specifically of the Covid 19 vaccines.

"Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own kids, while building a following hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs," she says.

"Even before he fills this job, his constant denigration of our health care system and the conspiratorial half-truths he's told about vaccines, have cost lives, and now we know that Bobby's crusade against vaccination has benefited him in other ways too."

But, she adds, her greatest worry is not RFK's lack of professional experience, but the personal traits she knows from her familial relationship, which she says poses "even greater concern".

She describes him as a "predator", and blames him for leading his younger relations "down the path of drug addiction", and says RFK was always "the centre of the action" when drugs were involved.

Kennedy adds that America's healthcare professionals deserve better than her cousin, and describes the US healthcare system as "the envy of the world", despite its “flaws”‘.

"They deserve a knowledgeable leader who is committed to evidence and excellence. They deserve a secretary committed to advancing cutting edge medicine, to save lives, not to rejecting the advances we have already made," she says.

"They deserve a stable, moral and ethical person at the helm of this crucial agency.

"They deserve better than Bobby Kennedy, and so do the rest of us. I urge the Senate to reject his nomination sincerely."

What’s The News Agents’ take?

RFK’s potential role in Trump’s administration is not just big news for the man himself, but a huge one for conspiracy theorists everywhere.

Emily Maitlis says if he does become Trump’s secretary of health and human services, it will mark the moment conspiracy theory "jumped off the page and into real life".

"For a long time, conspiracy lived on the dark web, in the chat rooms or with people's conversations in the pub," she says.

"Now the conspiracy theory that Donald Trump won an election he lost, leads people to the capitol to riot.

"Now, a conspiracy theory that pharmaceutical companies are working in thrall with the government to try and cheat you and poison your children, is actually going to have a real life effect on whether people are vaccinated or not."

Emily adds that despite some of the extreme, and dangerous, theories RFK has endorsed, she doesn't believe Caroline Kennedy's message will make any difference to the Republicans who have gladly acquiesced to Trump's administration.

"Caroline Kennedy won't be changing the minds of the die-hard Trumpist Republicans. What she's trying to do is remind the Democrats in the room that they have to go along with their gut instincts on this," she says.

"I think Caroline Kennedy is thinking, 'don't screw this one up'.

"This would be bad news for everyone and for everyone's child."

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