2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the reason he apologized to his family over a campaign Super Bowl ad was that he knew it would “irritate” some of his family members.
The apology Kennedy issued on Monday was in response to a 2024 campaign ad modeled in the same style as a 1960 campaign ad for his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy explained some of his family members do not support his presidential run and that the ad was created by a Kennedy super PAC, not Kennedy’s campaign.
“I love the ad, but I knew that it would irritate some members of my family because it used some of that old Kennedy iconography,” Kennedy said on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime. “So I don’t apologize for the ad, but I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, and it is an easy thing for me to do.”
Kennedy added he was not aware the ad would air during the Super Bowl ahead of time and that he was “delighted” when the ad showed up while he was watching the big game with his family. However, while he thought the ad was “very creative,” he said it was not the kind of ad he would air if he were given the choice.
Kennedy had announced his 2024 run for president as a Democratic candidate but later opted to run as an independent. Shortly after Kennedy announced his run as an independent, four of his siblings — Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy, Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend — spoke out against his independent run.
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“Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment,” the family’s statement read. “Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country.”
On Friday, the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Kennedy’s presidential campaign and super PAC have been illegally colluding regarding ballot access. The move by the DNC coincides with concerns that Kennedy could affect President Joe Biden’s reelectability come November.