Robert F. Kennedy Jr causes rejection among Democrats and gains support among Republicans. John Fitzgerald Kennedy's nephew is the most aggressive rival Joe Biden faces on his way to the primaries, and is associated will all kinds of controversy. The vast majority of the Kennedy family - which has supported Biden for years and has prominent places in Democratic diplomacy - is against the famous anti-vaccine activist. 

Conversely, among his most seasoned defenders is none than Steve Bannon, the great propagandist for Donald Trump. Through his War Room podcast and his social networks, Bannon has been promoting Kennedy Jr. for at least two years. According to the media aligned with the White House, Bannon was one of the great promoters of the Democratic candidacy of the son of the former attorney general, former senator and former presidential candidate Robert "Bob" Kennedy, killed in 1968. 

They have similarities, such as the permanent criticism of the mainstream media. In July, Kennedy Jr. blamed the media for questioning his campaign and said that they criticized him "even more than they criticized President Trump." "I've been really, you know, criticized in a way I think is unprecedented," he said. 

It was during an interview with "Sunday Morning Futures" on the conservative Fox News. [Kennedy Jr recibe apoyo de grandes ejecutivos de Silicon Valley para desafiar a Biden] Bannon's pro-Kennedy campaign began during the pandemic. It combined enduring praise and strong recommendations of his book "The Real Anthony Fauci," against the doctor who was Trump's presidential adviser. In addition, it included interviews with Kennedy in the War Room. 

Even the Trump aligned Claremont Institute magazine risked that "Kennedy's book has all the objectivity of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Bannon's efforts to spread Kennedy's message increased during 2022. That April, Bannon resumed their hour-long discussion from the previous December. The following month, Lyons, Kennedy's publisher, appeared for the first time at the War Room to promote the book. The ritual was repeated between October 2022 and the end of last year, when Lyons appeared in the War Room at least 8 times mentioning or publicizing Kennedy's book. Also producer Jeff Hays, who adapted Kennedy's book for a movie, was twice invited to the War Room to promot the film, once with Lyons and once alone. 

According to the media aligned with the White House, Bannon was one of the great promoters of the Democratic candidacy of the son of Robert ‘Bob' Kennedy.

Since Kennedy confirmed his candidacy last April, Bannon framed Kennedy as a fellow traveler who shared the same enemies, though not all of his exact policies.

Robert Kennedy Jr.

AP

"Any campaign that would crusade the Wuhan lab, Tony Fauci, the pharmaceutical-industrial complex, and vax and everything related to vaccines, all the science and logic, would be something that would help the American people. Do you agree with me on that?," Bannon asked anti-vaccines activist Naomi Wolf. 

"And look, he is a very progressive liberal democrat and I am a right-wing populist, but something like that would help the country solve these problems that have come up in recent years, ma'am?." "Yeah, I am actually afraid to answer that publicly because when you like it, all the legacy media gets mad at you two," Wolf replied. 

A story made by the Media Matters site shows that on April 24, Bannon went further than ever. He argued that if his friend, defeated Arizona candidate, Kari Lake was unavailable to be Trump's running mate, Kennedy would be a great choice.

"I see a very compelling reason, although I know Bobby Kennedy is terrible with guns, he is not good with Ucrania, but he talks about going after the administrative deep state in a very significant way, led by the pharmaceutical industry," Bannon said. 

"A Trump-Kennedy unity would be unbeatable." In June, Bannon compared Kennedy with Trump again. "The only two people in a presidential race who are saying something important and doing something important are Donald J. Trump - and he is putting out his political stuff every day -, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," Bannon said on June 7. 

And what was he talking about? The exact things we talk about in the War Room every day." 

The only two people who are saying something important and doing something important are Donald J. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,' Bannon said on June 7.

Bannon's support for Kennedy contrasts with the rejection of much of the Democratic candidate's family. A few days ago, JFK's grandson was the last to express it: he described Robert F's campaign as "shameful." Through a video on social networks, Jack Schlossberg stated that his cousin is only using certain conspiracy theories to try to obtain personal benefit because he has no capacity to govern. 

The son of the US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, said: "His candidacy is a disgrace. Don't get distracted again by someone's vain project. President John F. Kennedy is my grandfather. And his legacy is important. It's about much more than Camelot and conspiracy theories. It's about public service and courage." 

She said that referring to the hypotheses that Robert F. Kennedy Jr often talks about issues such as vaccination against COVID. A graduated of Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Schlossberg said that rather than supporting his cousin in his aspirations, he is convinced that the best option for the United States is for Biden be re-elected. In addition, he recommended his cousin to join the Biden campaign instead of looking for the way to obtain personal gain with his conspiracy theories. 

Bannon's support for Kennedy contrasts with the rejection of a large part of the Democratic candidate's family, which is part of the Biden administration

Kennedy Jr is up against a president whose administration is full of Kennedys in top positions and who has decades-long relationships with various family members. 

On the list are Chris Kennedy, a former candidate for governor in Illinois, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a former vice-governor of Maryland who is now a retirement adviser at the Department of Labor. Kennedy Townsend co-authored a 2019 article with her brother, former Rep. Joe Kennedy II, in which she lamented Kennedy Jr. helped "spread dangerous misinformation on social media and is complicit in sowing distrust of science." 

In addition to Kathleen Kennedy Townsend at the Department of Labor and Joe Kennedy in Northern Ireland, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy and mother of Schlossberg, is the ambassador to Australia, and Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Ted Kennedy, is the ambassador to Austria.

Translator: Bibiana Ruiz.