RFK Jr. drops surprise campaign ad during Super Bowl
The ad elicited mixed reactions from viewers and sent 'RFK Jr." skyrocketing on Google Trends. (Credit: Kennedy 2024)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized to members of his family for a surprise Super Bowl ad that heavily featured his connection to his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy.
RFK Jr. argued that the group responsible for the ad, the American Values Super PAC, did not consult with him or his campaign when making the ad. RFK Jr., who is running for president as an independent, nevertheless pinned the video to the top of his profile on X.
RFK Jr.'s cousin, Bobby Shriver, first complained about the ad in a post Sunday night, writing that his uncles and mother would never have approved of RFK Jr.'s "deadly health care views."
"My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA. She strongly supported my health care work … which he opposes," Shriver wrote.
"Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Superpac without any involvement or approvals from my campaign. Federal rules prohibit Superpacs from consulting with me or my staff. I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you," RFK Jr. replied.
RFK Jr. followed up the statement with a more general apology to any of his family members who were hurt by the ad, stating once again that "FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized to members of his family for a surprise Super Bowl ad that heavily featured his connection to his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
American Values 2024 ran the 30-second ad for $7 million. The clip is a throwback to an ad used by his uncle, JFK, in the 1960 presidential campaign.
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The ad, replacing JFK’s face with that of RFK Jr., implores viewers to "Vote Independent."
"The panicked DC power brokers are working overtime to keep Kennedy off the ballot because they know he can and will end their culture of greed and corruption," American Values 2024 co-founder Tony Lyons said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for president as an independent, and many Democrats fear he could serve as a spoiler for President Biden. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"They offer us soaring inflation, forever wars, and chronic disease. RFK Jr. offers us real change along with freedom, trust and hope. Like his uncle and his father, Kennedy is a corruption fighter, and it's no wonder the DNC is trying every old trick and inventing new tricks to stop him. The public sees through it all and won’t stand for it."
Kennedy initially sought to challenge President Biden in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary, but the DNC said it would not hold primary debates and stood behind the incumbent president.
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He declared himself as an independent candidate in October and has seen support in polls from a sizable number of Democrats — and even some Republicans.
Fox News' Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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