RFK Jr.'s Family Members Overwhelmingly Support Him

By David Charbonneau, The Kennedy Beacon

Prompart Pixexid

Every Thanksgiving, at the festive dining table, we share the 24-pound bird, grandma’s savory stuffing and the cranberry sauce, with the can ridges still visible. But another tradition at this most American of holidays is vigorous political dissent, sometimes even rancor, among people who share the same genes but not necessarily political points of view.

This year, in these debates, a new name may be added that is also old and storied — Kennedy. And so, what better time to reflect on the dynamics of family politics and the relative value of the opinions of one’s relatives.

While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaigns to heal the American divide, the mainstream media presents him as a polarizing figure, whom even his own family disavows — as evidenced, it is claimed, by the now infamous tweet on October 9, saying RFK Jr. is “dangerous,” apparently because his candidacy might spoil Biden’s chances of re-election, signed by four of his adult siblings, Rory, Joseph Jr., Kathleen, and Kerry Kennedy. Kathleen is among five Kennedy relatives who work for the Biden administration, she in the Department of Labor. RFK Jr.’s cousin, Caroline, is ambassador to Australia.

That tweet received pervasive coverage in the media from Newsweek to the Boston Globe to Rolling Stone—just to name a few. But is it really true that, as Slate, for instance, headlined earlier this year, “The Kennedys Really Hate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”? 

Note the sleight-of-hand practiced in these stories that consistently imply all of Kennedy’s siblings signed off on that tweet. But, in point of fact, Kennedy has nine living siblings, only four of whom signed the tweet. His other siblings, as we shall see below, have much more positive views of their brother. 

When asked about the tweet on VladTV on Tuesday, Kennedy said:

“You know what, I'm okay with it. I, you know, I was raised in a family where we argue with each other. My father encouraged us [Kennedy and his siblings] to argue and debate every night. In fact, you know, they orchestrated debates the same way my grandfather did with them, so you know there's a lot of things I disagree with my family on. We were on different sides during when Obama ran: I was on one side, they were on the other, and there's a lot of issues that I don't agree with any of those people on: the war, [they] know I don't agree with them on censorship. I have five members of my family who are working for the [Biden] administration. [RFK Jr. supported Obama in 2008.]”

With a wry grin, Kennedy also pointed out during the interview he has 105 family members.

When Kennedy announced his candidacy in an historic event in Boston last April, he was joined by his wife, Cheryl Hines, and all six of his adult children, including his son, Robert. F. Kennedy, III, who is working for the campaign, and his son’s wife Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, who is now his campaign manager. He was also joined by a boatload of grandkids and nephews, numbering, in all, at least two dozen. It would be fair to ask, then, if the success of a family man is best judged by the opinions of some of his siblings or the love and support of all his adult children and grandchildren. 

Kennedy’s approach to the public criticisms of a few of his family members has been resolutely non-combative. He simply refuses to rise to the bait, even when a relative non-entity such as Jack Schlossberg posts a video on Instagram, praising Biden as the best, most progressive president ever and declaring Kennedy’s run “a vanity project.” 

In his announcement of his candidacy, Kennedy addressed the issue: "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."

Kennedy’s refusal to counter-attack or to take his siblings’ disagreement personally, is read as clueless naiveté by some of his critics, like the vitriolic and cynical Joe Hagan, writing yet another hit piece in Vanity Fair. But others might read it as typical of Kennedy’s generosity, the act of a man who insists on seeing the best in people, even when he vigorously disagrees with them. It is similar to his refusal to bash Trump supporters or progressives, though Jordan Petersen in an extensive and mutually respectful interview, tried to get him to do just that: join his crusade against ‘the woke.’ 

Indeed, Kennedy’s good will is returned by a number of his siblings, even when they disagree with his politics. 

His sister, Courtney Kennedy Hill—who did not join the “dangerous” tweet—told the Daily Beast: "I love my brother deeply, and while I don’t agree with him on a number of issues, theories, I do not want to knock him...He has done a lot of good for many, many people… I just don’t want all that to get lost in the maelstrom around his more controversial statements and views.”

Douglas Kennedy told People magazine that his brother "has immense political talent.” 

“Everyone [in the family] loves him and recognizes his talent,” he added. “Not everyone agrees with his positions."

Chris Kennedy said to Politico: 

"We love our brother. We love our party. And we love our president. Ultimately, it’s better that he’s running as an independent and can impact President Trump....There’s no other candidate thinking about running who has as much charisma as Bobby....The folks I know who are most vocal about their support for Bobby are a lot of my traditional Republican friends.... As a Kennedy, only Bobby, with that kind of charisma, could attract that much Republican support.”

The former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, once married to Maria Shriver and a Republican, has said of Kennedy: 

"I see Bobby in Gold’s Gym. I like him, and I love that he’s out there running. I will always say great things about Bobby, because during my entire existence with the Kennedys he always treated me with respect. I will always do this the same way back: absolute respect."

In the Netflix docuseries, Arnold, Schwarzenegger attributes his shift to green environmental policies early in his tenure as governor to a pivotal phone conversation with RFK Jr.

Such positive quotes from Kennedy’s family are hard to find amidst the tsunami of redundant stories about those few family members who publicly condemn his presidential run and, of course, these stories make no mention of the solid phalanx of support from his other family members. 

As Kennedy continues to draw large crowds and climb in the polls to the point where he is now the leading candidate among those under 45, according to a New York Times poll, it seems increasingly likely that the American people will give the criticism of those who share his name but not his vision—or frankly, his gravitas—its proper weight in their electoral considerations. 

Nancy Owens contributed to this article.