Who is Caroline Kennedy, who called her cousin RFK Jr. a ‘predator’?

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, issued a rare and strongly worded public statement opposing the nomination of her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Strong Opposition to RFK Jr.’s Nomination

In a letter to senators, Caroline Kennedy, a former U.S. ambassador to Australia and Japan, described her cousin as a “predator” and urged lawmakers to reject his nomination.

In the letter, Kennedy, 67, accused RFK Jr. of being “addicted to attention and power” and of harming innocent people, including family members, through his past drug use and controversial views on vaccines.

While many Kennedy family members have remained silent on RFK Jr.’s nomination under President Donald Trump, some had previously spoken out against his presidential campaign, arguing that he does not represent the family’s Democratic values.

RFK Jr. is scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Thursday as part of his confirmation process.

Caroline Kennedy: JFK’s Sole Surviving Child

Caroline Kennedy has endured a life marked by tragedy. She was just five years old when her father was assassinated on November 22, 1963—five days before her sixth birthday. Her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy (RFK Jr.’s father), was assassinated five years later. Her younger brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., died in a plane crash in July 1999 at the age of 38.

In 1986, Caroline married artist and designer Edwin Schlossberg. They have three children, including John “Jack” Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, a social media personality and Vogue political correspondent.

A Lawyer, Author, and Former U.S. Ambassador

Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer and author of several books on poetry, civics, and law. She has served on the boards of multiple foundations dedicated to preserving the Kennedy family legacy, including the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation.

She has also worked with organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

In addition to her nonprofit work, she has held political positions, serving as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Obama administration and later as the U.S. ambassador to Australia under the Biden administration. However, she stepped down from that role after Trump’s electoral victory.

Calling RFK Jr. ‘Unqualified’ and a ‘Predator’

Kennedy stated that she had long been reluctant to comment publicly on RFK Jr.’s political views due to her role as a former U.S. ambassador and out of family loyalty. However, she felt compelled to speak out now, given her concerns over his nomination.

“Overseeing the agencies responsible for protecting the most vulnerable is an enormous responsibility—one that Bobby is unqualified to fill,” she wrote. “He lacks any relevant government, financial management, or medical experience. His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed.”

A review of RFK Jr.’s public statements shows that he has repeatedly spread vaccine misinformation, falsely linking them to autism and even suggesting separate vaccination schedules for White and Black people. He also called the COVID-19 vaccine—the same vaccine credited with saving millions of lives—“the deadliest vaccine ever made.”

While Kennedy argued that RFK Jr.’s medical views alone should disqualify him, she also pointed to his personal history as a major concern.

“I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets—because Bobby himself is a predator,” she wrote.

RFK Jr. has been open about his history of drug addiction, admitting that he was addicted to heroin, cocaine, and other substances from the age of 15 until his arrest for heroin possession in 1983 at age 29. Though he has since made addiction recovery a key part of his activism, some have criticized his focus on “tough love” approaches while ignoring medications proven to be effective in treating addiction, such as methadone and buprenorphine.

While acknowledging her cousin’s recovery, Caroline Kennedy wrote that his influence led other family members down a dark path.

“I commend Bobby for overcoming illness and addiction,” she wrote. “But siblings and cousins whom Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness, and death—while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life.”

Her son, Jack Schlossberg, who first shared the video of Kennedy reading her letter, praised his “courageous mother” for speaking out.

Divided Opinions Within the Kennedy Family

Not all Kennedy family members share Caroline’s view.

On the same day her letter was made public, Patrick J. Kennedy, a nephew of the former president and a former Democratic congressman from Rhode Island, issued a statement in support of RFK Jr.

Patrick Kennedy credited RFK Jr. with being “unwaveringly supportive” of his own battle with opioid addiction, including his use of medication-assisted treatment and antidepressants for depression.

“To portray Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as fundamentally opposed to modern medicine is misinformed and seems more aimed at advancing a political narrative than helping those struggling with addiction,” he wrote.

He also defended RFK Jr.’s stance on addiction policy, calling him “the leader we need to meet this moment.”

Notably, however, Patrick J. Kennedy endorsed Joe Biden over his cousin in the 2024 presidential election, stating at the time, “If you care about the addiction crisis and mental health crisis, Joe Biden is your candidate.”

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