‘I’m sorry’: RFK Jr. apologises to family for controversial $7 mn Super Bowl ad

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered an apology to his family members after a surprising Super Bowl commercial highlighted his relationship with his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy.
RFK Jr. contended that neither he nor his campaign were consulted during the creation of the advertisement by the American Values Super PAC. Despite this, the ad was pinned to the top of RFK Jr.’s X (formerly Twitter) profile as of Monday morning.
Produced by American Values 2024, the ad resembled a presidential campaign commercial for Kennedy’s uncle, when he was contesting for the White House alongside his running mate Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960.
The original black-and-white commercial had a catchy chorus that keeps repeating “Kennedy,” with pictures of JFK and his name appearing over lines like “Do you want a man for president who’s seasoned through and through? But not so doggone seasoned that he won’t try something new? A man whose old enough to know and young enough to do?”
In the latest commercial, RFK Jr.’s face replaces JFK’s, and viewers are urged to “Vote Independent.” American Values 2024 released the 30-second ad for $7 million.
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Taking to X on Sunday night, Bobby Shriver, RFK Jr.’s cousin and the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, voiced his dissatisfaction with the advertisement, stating that his mother and uncles would not have agreed with the presidential candidate’s “deadly health care views.”
“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 … which he opposes,” Shriver wrote.
Responding to his cousin, Kennedy wrote, “I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain.”
“The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you,” he added.
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Subsequently, RFK Jr. issued an apology in a more broad manner to any members of his family offended by the advertisement, emphasising that “FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff.”
Meanwhile, Stefanie Spear, Kennedy’s press secretary gave completely different statement over the big-game advertising.
“We are pleasantly surprised and grateful to the American Values PAC for running an ad during the Super Bowl where more than 100 million Americans got to see that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent candidate for president of the United States,” Spear told CBS News.
According to a recent poll, Kennedy, whose anti-vax views are in line with views of many Conservatives, was garnering14% of the general vote on November’s potential five-person ballot. This puts him in a position of the potential spoiler for the expected challengers — Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.