Some people who are familiar with the Kennedy family are shocked by Caroline Kennedy’s harsh condemnation of her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She called him a “predator” who is “addicted to attention and power” and said that his remarks regarding vaccinations had “cost lives.”
According to a person who is connected to the Democratic Party family, “It was a pretty fierce statement.”
According to one insider, who spoke to PEOPLE, “She is extremely private, and her speaking out — as harshly as she did — about her cousin is shocking. It’s a complete departure for her.”
According to the source, Caroline, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, was encouraged by her son, Jack Schlossberg, who has constantly criticized the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s son.
Caroline, who is 67 years old, had refrained from openly criticizing her cousin, Bobby, who is 71 years old and is referred to as such by the family. Schlossberg and other family have been more outspoken in expressing their disagreement with his political ideas.
On Tuesday, January 28, Caroline made a video statement via Schlossberg. In the video, she read a letter that she also delivered to the senators who are scheduled to begin interrogating Bobby on Wednesday, January 29. After the questioning, the senators will vote on whether or not to confirm Bobby as President Donald Trump’s health secretary.
Caroline criticized her cousin’s decisions over the years and his lack of medical training in her statement.
She proposed that in the past, his charm concealed something more sinister, even going so far as to explain how he supposedly “enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks.”
She said, “It was a scene of despair and violence that was often twisted.”
Caroline said that her earlier quiet was due to personal and professional concerns, since she grew up as one of “a close generation of 28 cousins who have been through a lot together.”
She added, “I did not comment, not only because I was serving in a government position as United States ambassador to Australia, but because I have never wanted to speak publicly about my family members and their challenges.” (She resigned from her position as ambassador in November.)
However, Caroline said that the health care sector in the nation, “for all its flaws,” needs “a secretary committed to advancing cutting-edge medicine to save lives, not rejecting the advances we have already made.”
She said, “They deserve to have someone who is stable, moral, and ethical in charge of this important agency.” “They deserve more than Bobby Kennedy – and so do the rest of us.”
Bobby has not made any public statements on Caroline’s assaults, and a representative for him did not reply to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Bobby is a lawyer and environmental campaigner who has been a critic of some vaccination and health care programs for a long time, even though there is no proof to support his conspiracy theories.
Because he does not have any background in medicine or science, his candidacy to supervise the federal government’s health departments has been met with criticism.
According to Bloomberg News, he intends to inform the Senate this week that he is not against vaccinations and that his children have been vaccinated.
He would testify that “in my advocacy I have often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions,” according to a copy of his prepared comments that Bloomberg acquired. I won’t say I’m sorry for it. We need to confront the serious health issues that exist in our nation with complete honesty.
He used to be a Democrat, but he campaigned with Trump in last year’s election on a plan to “make America healthy again.” This included going after pharmaceutical firms and other sections of the health care business. His views have also caused a lot of debate.
He will require the support of at least 50 senators, as well as Vice President JD Vance to break the tie, in order to be approved as the health secretary.
The Senate is divided 53-47, with Republicans holding a slight advantage over Democrats. This indicates that Bobby’s candidacy would be blocked if four Republicans and all 47 Democrats voted “no.”
According to the insider who is familiar with the Kennedy family, it is unclear if Caroline’s complaints are still relevant today.
According to the source, “In some ways, it’s too little and too late.”