Recently updated on August 5th, 2024 at 11:01 pm
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, is running for president as a Democrat, according to a statement of candidacy filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.
Kennedy, an outspoken anti-vaccine activist and the chair of the anti-vaccine nonprofit group Children’s Health Defense, is the second Democrat to officially enter the 2024 race. Self-help author Marianne Williamsonlaunched her second White House bid in March.
Both Kennedy’s and Williamson’s bids are seen as long-shots in a Democratic primary that will likely pit them against President Joe Biden. Though Biden has yet to officially enter the race, he has repeatedly said he plans to run for reelection.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has long led the charge in the anti-vaccine movement, spreading conspiracy theories about the dangers they pose to children. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was among those who attacked vaccine requirements, accusing Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease doctor, of orchestrating “fascism” during the pandemic.
