Kennedys Denounce RFK Jr.'s 'Deplorable' Remarks on COVID, Jews

The comments 'play on antisemitic myths,' says his brother
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 18, 2023 12:00 AM CDT
Siblings Denounce RFK Jr.'s 'Deplorable' Remarks on COVID, Jews
Robert Kennedy Jr, left, and Kerry Kennedy attend the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights 2010 Ripple of Hope Awards Dinner at Pier Sixty on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 in New York.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

Days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was accused of antisemitic remarks about COVID-19, his family is speaking out, and a Democratic watchdog group is calling on a US House committee to uninvite him from an upcoming hearing. The family remarks:

  • "I strongly condemn my brother's deplorable and untruthful remarks last week about COVID being engineered for ethnic targeting," Kerry Kennedy, who is president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights nonprofit, said in a statement cited by the New York Times. "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."
  • "Bobby's comments are morally and factually wrong," said his brother, Joseph Kennedy II, in a statement to the Boston Globe. "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."

  • And his son, former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, tweeted, "My uncle's comments were hurtful and wrong. I unequivocally condemn what he said."
As NBC News reports, when RFK Jr. launched his 2024 presidential bid, his sister said that while she loves him, she does not share or endorse "many" of his opinions (among other things, he's known for spreading anti-vaccine conspiracy theories). He's currently polling between 10% and 20%, numbers the Times calls "striking" considering he's issuing a Democratic primary challenge to the incumbent. (More Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stories.)

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