Caroline Kennedy – the cousin of Robert F Kennedy Jr – has urged US senators to reject her cousin as America’s subsequent well being and human companies secretary in a scathing letter launched on Tuesday.
The message, shared by way of social media, was despatched to senators forward of RFK Jr’s questioning by senators on Wednesday in what might show a contentious first affirmation listening to.
“I’ve identified Bobby my complete life; we grew up collectively,” she wrote. “It is no shock that he retains birds of prey as pets as a result of he himself is a predator.”
Caroline Kennedy added that her cousin’s views on vaccines disqualify him from the function of being one in every of America’s main well being policymakers. RFK Jr has but to reply.
Within the message – printed in video kind on-line and despatched to senators in a letter – Caroline Kennedy stated her choice to talk out was prompted by her issues in regards to the high-profile function he might have within the Trump administration if confirmed.
The president, in contrast, has vowed that his nominee will “make America nice and wholesome once more” by restoring US well being companies to “the traditions of gold commonplace scientific analysis”.
The well being and human companies secretary oversees companies together with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) and the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), the latter of which has some 18,000 workers.
“He lacks any related authorities, monetary, administration, or medical expertise,” Caroline Kennedy stated. “His views on vaccines are harmful and wilfully misinformed.”
RFK Jr has lengthy been a vaccine sceptic and has baselessly claimed there’s a hyperlink between vaccines and autism. He has, nonetheless, not too long ago stated jabs are “not going to be taken away from anyone” – and that his purpose is to enhance the science on vaccine security, which he believes has “big deficits”.
He might face questions from senators in Wednesday’s listening to about this subject, and his plans for concentrating on junk meals – a difficulty on which he has wider public assist.
Explaining her “predator” remark, Caroline Kennedy alleged that “Bobby preys on the desperation of oldsters of sick youngsters, vaccinating his personal children whereas constructing a following, hypocritically discouraging different dad and mom from vaccinating theirs”.
RFK Jr has beforehand been quoted saying he would “pay something” to show again time and never vaccinate his personal youngsters.
Elevating additional issues about RFK Jr’s “private qualities”, Caroline Kennedy claimed her cousin “inspired” siblings and cousins “down the trail of substance abuse”.
RFK Jr has publicly spoken about his previous battle with drug habit together with heroin use. He plead responsible to bringing heroin onto a aircraft in 1984.
The letter additionally makes an historic declare of animal cruelty towards RFK Jr. “His basement, his storage, and his dorm room have been the centres of the motion the place medication have been out there, and he loved displaying off how he put child chickens and mice within the blender to feed his hawks,” Caroline Kennedy wrote. “It was typically a perverse scene of despair and violence.”
Caroline Kennedy – a former US ambassador to Australia and Japan – additionally stated each her father, former President John F Kennedy, and her uncle Robert Kennedy, can be “disgusted” by her cousin’s actions.
RFK Jr briefly ran for president final 12 months as an unbiased after initially launching a Democratic main bid. He finally suspended his marketing campaign, endorsing Trump.