In an online meeting with anti-vaccine activists on June 27, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat running for president, made false claims about vaccine research and its alleged role in causing millions of deaths during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. He even suggested that such research could have led to the creation of Covid-19, H.I.V., and other deadly viruses. However, during a Congressional hearing on July 20, Mr. Kennedy did not make any of these assertions. When questioned about vaccines, he stated, “I have never been anti-vax. I have never told the public to avoid vaccination.”
While Mr. Kennedy is considered a long shot for the Democratic nomination, he serves as a prime example of how a political figure can propagate falsehoods and conspiracy theories on a large scale. Since declaring his presidential run in April, there has been a noticeable divergence between his statements at political events and what he says on podcasts, in online meetings, and on shows that cater to anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
During public appearances like Congressional hearings, Mr. Kennedy, 69, has toned down his extreme views but continues to advocate for them in other settings. At campaign stops in Iowa, Vermont, and Virginia this summer, he focused on topics such as the environment, foreign policy, and the conflict in Ukraine. He avoided discussing vaccines and limited his comments on Covid-19 to criticizing pandemic lockdowns.
However, during the same period, Mr. Kennedy appeared on more than two dozen podcasts hosted by right-wing personalities like Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan, as well as in online meetings and video streams where he discussed various fringe ideas. At times, he made baseless claims about vaccines and even questioned whether chemicals in the water supply were causing “sexual dysphoria” in American children.
This change in Mr. Kennedy’s behavior is striking, considering his nearly two decades of promoting unverified theories about vaccines and other matters. Experts who study misinformation believe that the candidate has likely moderated his most extreme positions to appeal to a broader audience and garner more support.
By subtly raising topics on which he holds extreme views, Mr. Kennedy presents his ideas about vaccines as questions in campaign forums. For example, he may ask if coronavirus vaccines were developed too quickly or question the safety protocols surrounding other vaccines. This approach allows him to maintain a more moderate image while still entertaining his unorthodox beliefs.
Mr. Kennedy’s campaign declined to comment, but previously stated that he was being mischaracterized. Recent polls indicate that he has the support of approximately 12 percent of Democratic voters. He has garnered endorsements from prominent figures like Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Aaron Rodgers, and Alicia Silverstone.
Mr. Kennedy’s public opposition to vaccines began in 2005 when he published articles in Rolling Stone and Salon suggesting a connection between vaccines and autism. Both publications later retracted the articles. In 2018, he established Children’s Health Defense, a Washington-based nonprofit that promotes anti-vaccine ideology.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Kennedy participated in numerous events where he claimed that drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine could effectively treat the virus. However, multiple studies conducted during and after the pandemic have proven otherwise. Mr. Kennedy has not addressed these studies.
He also produced a movie in 2021 that propagated the dangerous idea that Black Americans should not get vaccinated. Additionally, he authored a book alleging a conspiracy between Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Bill Gates, and pharmaceutical companies to profit from vaccines. Both Dr. Fauci and Mr. Gates have denounced these claims.
In 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate identified Mr. Kennedy as one of the “Disinformation Dozen,” a group of twelve individuals responsible for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 on the internet.
Moreover, Mr. Kennedy has used his platform to promote other misleading notions, such as the belief that 5G networks are utilized for widespread surveillance.
“You have a bleeding-over from vaccines to broad conspiratorial ideas on a number of topics,” said Jonathan Jarry, a scientist and science communicator at McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. “He promotes a whole worldview that is not just about opposing vaccines. It is about distrusting government, media, and other bodies while promoting trust in him.”
Since announcing his presidential campaign, Mr. Kennedy has adjusted his behavior. During a nearly two-hour speech launching his candidacy, he did not mention vaccines or endorse conspiracy theories. Instead, he focused on challenging the merger of state and corporate power, criticizing government spending, corporate influence, and pandemic lockdown measures.
Throughout the summer, Mr. Kennedy maintained a cautious approach in his campaign appearances. During an audio event with Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter), he briefly referred to vaccines but mostly discussed the hardships people faced during lockdowns. He followed a similar pattern during campaign events in Vermont and at the Iowa State Fair, where he refrained from mentioning vaccines. In an interview with Tucker Carlson that excluded any discussion of vaccines, Mr. Kennedy continued to express extreme views on other topics.
Just recently, Children’s Health Defense announced a “people’s bus tour” across the United States to collect stories from individuals who claim to have been harmed by vaccines and other health protocols introduced during the pandemic. The tour featured a bus labeled with the title of Mr. Kennedy’s latest book, “Vax-Unvax.”
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