Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has come under recent criticism after a super PAC aired a remake of a vintage ad originally used by the campaign of his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, during Super Bowl LVIII over the weekend. The ad prompted criticism from at least two members of the Kennedy family, ultimately leading to an apology from Kennedy himself.
The ad, created by pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values 2024, aired for thirty seconds during Sunday night’s Super Bowl LVIII. The ad is a copy of one used by John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election, but it substitutes all images of the elder Kennedy with his nephew. Tony Lyons, co-chair of American Values 2024, confirmed in an interview with The Hill that the ad cost $7,000,000 to air.
As of this article, the ad remains pinned on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s X account. Readers can view the ad below:
Bobby Shriver, the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and RFK Jr.’s cousin, criticized the ad in a post on X following its airing. Shriver publicly criticized Kennedy, particularly targeting his views on healthcare. Bobby was also joined by his brother Mark Shriver, who said, “I agree with my brother [Bobby] simple as that.”
“My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA. She strongly supported my health care work at [ONECampaign] & [RED] which he opposes,” Bobby Shriver wrote.
Kennedy quickly apologized to Shriver and his family for the ad but clarified that he and his campaign had no influence or involvement in its airing.
“Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Superpac without any involvement or approvals from my campaign. Federal rules prohibit Superpacs from consulting with me or my staff. I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you,” Kennedy responded.
American Values 2024 has also faced recent scrutiny following accusations by the Democratic National Committee last week. The DNC alleged that the Super PAC has been illegally coordinating with the Kennedy campaign to help him achieve ballot access, effectively amounting to an illegal in-kind campaign contribution. However, Kennedy has dismissed the accusations. Readers can view the DNC letter to the FEC here.
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