Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Early Life and Struggles

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. was born on January 17, 1954, in Washington, D.C., the third of Robert and Ethel Kennedy's eleven children. He was fourteen years old when his father was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968, a loss that deeply affected him and led, in his own account, to years of self-destructive behavior.

In 1983 Kennedy was arrested at the Rapid City, South Dakota airport and pled guilty to heroin possession. He completed a court-ordered rehabilitation program and has spoken openly about his struggle with addiction in the years since, presenting his recovery as a central part of his personal narrative. He married Emily Ruth Black in 1982 and had two children; they divorced in 1994. His second marriage, to writer Mary Richardson, produced four children but ended in 2010 following public accounts of Kennedy's infidelities. Mary Richardson Kennedy died of suicide in 2012. He married actress Cheryl Hines in 2014.

Environmental Advocacy

Kennedy built a significant career as an environmental lawyer and advocate. He served as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and as chief prosecuting attorney for the Riverkeeper organization, which fights for the protection of the Hudson River and other waterways. His legal work resulted in major prosecutions of industrial polluters and helped restore the Hudson River ecosystem.

He joined the faculty of Pace University School of Law and built the Environmental Litigation Clinic there, training a generation of environmental lawyers. His 2004 book Crimes Against Nature argued that the George W. Bush administration's environmental policies amounted to a systematic dismantling of decades of environmental protection. He was a prominent voice in environmental causes for more than two decades.

Vaccine Skepticism and Controversy

In the early 2000s Kennedy began publicly questioning the safety of certain vaccines, focusing particularly on thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that had been used in some childhood vaccines. His 2005 article in Rolling Stone, alleging a cover-up of a link between thimerosal and autism, was retracted by the magazine after significant factual errors were identified. The scientific consensus — maintained by the CDC, WHO, and major medical associations worldwide — is that vaccines do not cause autism, and that thimerosal does not present a danger at the levels used in vaccines.

Kennedy founded Children's Health Defense in 2016, an organization that questions vaccine safety and has been identified by researchers as a significant source of vaccine misinformation. His vaccine-related views estranged him from many members of his own family, who publicly criticized them, and from the mainstream Democratic Party.

The 2024 Presidential Campaign

Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in April 2023, positioning himself as an anti-establishment outsider. When it became clear he could not win the Democratic primary, he announced an independent candidacy in October 2023. His campaign attracted support from an unusual coalition of libertarians, anti-establishment conservatives, and progressives frustrated with both major parties.

In August 2024 Kennedy suspended his independent campaign and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump, a move that completed his political realignment and shocked many who had known him as a lifelong Democrat and liberal. He received around 0.4 percent of the popular vote in the general election.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services in November 2024. The nomination was controversial given Kennedy's vaccine skepticism and his history of promoting claims contradicted by the scientific community. After contentious Senate confirmation hearings in which Kennedy faced questions about his past statements on vaccines, fluoride, antidepressants, and other public health matters, he was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025 and assumed office. He has stated his intention to reform federal health agencies and reassess dietary guidelines.

What is RFK Jr. known for?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known for his decades of environmental legal work, including major victories on behalf of Hudson River clean water advocacy; his controversial vaccine skepticism and founding of Children's Health Defense; his 2024 independent presidential campaign; and his appointment as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration in 2025.

Did RFK Jr. run for president?

Yes. Kennedy first entered the 2024 presidential race as a candidate for the Democratic nomination in April 2023, then relaunched as an independent in October 2023. He suspended his independent campaign in August 2024 and endorsed Donald Trump. He received approximately 0.4 percent of the popular vote.

What does RFK Jr. believe about vaccines?

Kennedy has repeatedly questioned vaccine safety, particularly claiming links between vaccines and autism — claims rejected by the scientific and medical consensus. He founded Children's Health Defense, an organization that spreads vaccine skepticism. His views are not supported by the CDC, WHO, or major medical associations. His family has publicly disagreed with his vaccine positions.