A Super Bowl ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid and invoking President John F. Kennedy drew the ire of the Kennedy family.
“My cousin's Super Bowl ad used our uncle's faces and my mother's faces. She would be horrified by her deadly views on health care,” said Bobby Shriver, former mayor of Santa Monica and son of Eunice Kennedy and Sargent Shriver. wrote in X, formerly Twitter. “Respect for science, vaccines and equity in health care were in his DNA. She strongly supported my healthcare work in @ONECampaign & @RED “what he opposes.”
Former California first lady Maria Shriver reposted the message, while her brother Mark Shriver wrote that he agreed with the message, “just like that.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer known for promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, responded with a sorry.
“I am very sorry if the Super Bowl ad caused pain to anyone in my family,” he wrote on X. “The ad was created and aired by American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”
However, he continued to promote the ad on his X feed, and at one point pinned it to the top of his profile.
Bobby Shriver declined to comment.
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The 30-second ad that aired Sunday is a modified version of a one-minute one promoting John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign, replacing photographs of the late president with images of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
One political media buyer estimated the ad cost between $6 million and $7 million.
Democrats have previously criticized the American Values Super PAC for being funded by a major donor to former President Trump.
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who lives in Los Angeles part of the year with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, initially announced his presidential bid, he said he would run as a Democrat. He later announced that he would run as an independent, which is why he will not appear on the California primary ballot on March 5.
Candidates not affiliated with a political party do not appear on the California presidential primary ballot, but may appear on the general election ballot if they submit more than 219,000 signatures (1% of the number of registered voters in the state).
