Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on vaccines has prompted support for the environmental lawyer turned politician while also sparking condemnation from public health experts. Among his most prominent critics is his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, who, in a recent letter—publicly read in a YouTube video—referred to him as a “predator.”

Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday as he seeks confirmation as President Donald Trump‘s Health Secretary.

Kennedy Jr. has not publicly responded to comments from his cousin.

Why It Matters

Caroline Kennedy’s scathing letter on her cousin reads: “I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator.”

Caroline Kennedy accused RFK Jr. of preying “on the desperation of parents of sick children—vaccinating his own children while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs.”

Who Is Caroline Kennedy?

(L) File image of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy in Brisbane on July 28, 2023. (R) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on January 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (L) File image of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy in Brisbane on July 28, 2023. (R) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on January 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Photo by PAT HOELSCHER/AFP via Getty Images/ Kevin Lamarque – Pool/Getty Images

Caroline Kennedy, age 67, is the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She’s an author, attorney, and diplomat, having served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Australia.

What Else Did Caroline Kennedy Say in Her Letter?

Caroline Kennedy alleged Kennedy Jr. “put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks,” adding that “it was often a perverse scene of despair and violence.”

Kennedy Jr.’s use of drugs was also brought up by Caroline Kennedy, who accused him of leading his siblings and cousins “down the path of substance abuse, addiction, illness, and death,” while he went on to “cheat his way through life.”

RFK Jr. struggled with substance abuse following his father Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1968, when he was 14 years old. In her letter, Caroline Kennedy alleged that his basement, garage, and dorm room became hotspots for drug use, where substances were readily available.

Kennedy Jr. has previously talked about his heroin use and he pleaded guilty to bringing the drug on an airplane in 1984, the Associated Press reported.

Screenshot of Caroline Kennedy reading her letter on her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to U.S. Senators, published Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Screenshot of Caroline Kennedy reading her letter on her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to U.S. Senators, published Tuesday, January 28, 2025. @CBKennedy/X

What Else Has Caroline Kennedy Said About RFK Jr. Over the Years?

In November 2024, Caroline Kennedy commented on RFK Jr.’s vaccine views at the National Press Club of Australia. She said: “I think Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous.

“I don’t think that most Americans share them. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

What Have Other Kennedy Family Members Said About RFK Jr.?

In 2019, other Kennedy family members called RFK Jr.’s views on vaccines “dangerous” and “wrong”.

Kennedy Jr. has said he is not against all vaccines. He is on leave as the chair of the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense and has repeated the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. He also told podcaster Lex Fridman that there are “no” safe and effective vaccines, breaking from the overwhelming scientific consensus.

Two of his siblings and his niece wrote an op-ed saying he has “helped to spread dangerous misinformation,” and is “complicit in sowing distrust of the science behind vaccines.”

“We love Bobby. He is one of the great champions of the environment,” sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, brother Joseph P. Kennedy II, and niece Maeve Kennedy McKean wrote in a Politico article in May 2019. “However, on vaccines he is wrong.”

“His and others’ work against vaccines is having heartbreaking consequences,” they wrote. “The challenge for public health officials right now is that many people are more afraid of the vaccines than the diseases, because they’ve been lucky enough to have never seen the diseases and their devastating impact.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits “Fox & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on April 02, 2024, in New York City. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits “Fox & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on April 02, 2024, in New York City. Getty

Kennedy Family Feud

In October 2023, when Kennedy Jr. announced he was running for the presidency as an independent, the Kennedy family issued a statement denouncing his candidacy.

Shared on X (formerly Twitter) by his sister Kerry Kennedy, it read: “The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country.

“Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.”

When RFK Jr. suspended his presidential bid and endorsed Trump in August 2024, Kerry Kennedy released another family statement labeling it a “sad ending to a sad story”.

It read: “We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride. We believe in Harris and Walz.

“Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear.”

When Is RFK Jr.’s Confirmation Hearing?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings for the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 10 am EST: Senate Finance Committee hearing.
• Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 10 am EST: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing.

These hearings will assess Kennedy’s qualifications and address concerns regarding his nomination. More information on the hearing and how to watch it live can be found here.