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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cheers for his uncle John F. Kennedy during his 1960 candidacy for the white party during the Super Bowl, a well-funded super PAC supporting the president’s independence campaign The company apologized Sunday night after running an ad that looked very similar to the spot. House.
The ad cost $7 million, according to the super PAC’s co-founder, and features the same jingle and the same cheerful cartoon interspersed with candid photos of the candidates, including a young Kennedy. Their faces were superimposed.
Some members of Mr. Kennedy’s family have accused him of promoting baseless theories about vaccines and other topics, and many were quick to criticize him over the ad.
Bobby Shriver, John F. Kennedy’s nephew, said in X: “My cousin’s Super Bowl ad featured my uncle’s face and my mother’s face. She would be appalled by his deadly views on medicine. Towards science, vaccines, and medical equity. That respect was in her DNA.” Her brother Mark Shriver he wrote that he agreed.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. himself was quick to respond, citing his storied political family and legacy throughout his candidacy.
“I am truly sorry if my Super Bowl ad caused any pain in your family,” he said. I wrote to X on Sunday night.. “This 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 all.”
Separately, the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint Friday alleging illegal coordination between him and a super PAC.
Kennedy left the Democratic Party in October, claiming that the Democratic primary system was rigged against him, and is running for president as an independent. His candidacy has worried many Democrats, who fear that Kennedy, an environmental lawyer who has become a prominent purveyor of conspiracy theories, will siphon votes from President Biden.
Super PACs are raising doubts about Mr. Kennedy’s support base. The bulk of the PAC’s money, about $15 million, came from Republican Timothy Mellon, who also contributed $10 million to a super PAC supporting former President Donald J. Trump.
“The first national ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy was purchased and paid for by Donald Trump’s largest donor,” Democratic National Committee spokesman Alex Floyd said in a statement. Of course,” he said. “RFK Jr. is just Trump’s stalking horse in this race.”
Many Super Bowl ads focus on nostalgia. Sunday night’s commercial featured footage of a vintage Volkswagen, a “Scrubs” reunion, and Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Boston.
But Kennedy’s ad, which super PAC co-founder Tony Lyons said took about 36 hours to create, gave a different impression. John F. Kennedy ran as a 43-year-old Democrat in 1960, while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is 70 and running as an independent — a self-proclaimed spoiler. (Despite Mr. Kennedy’s age, the ads still depict him as youthful and athletic, including shots of him sliding down on skis.)
Mr. Kennedy has faced repeated backlash from his family over his views.
In July, Jack Schlossberg, the former president’s grandson, posted a video calling his uncle’s campaign an “embarrassing thing” and said that the younger Kennedy “praises Camelot, celebrity conspiracy theories and conflicts for personal gain.” “They are using it for fame.”
The Super Bowl ad received mixed reactions on social media platform X. Right-wing writer Ben Shapiro called the ad “shockingly politically astute.”
Robert Schramm, a longtime Democratic political consultant who worked with former Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, wrote: “This RFK Junior Super Bowl ad is a total plagiarism of the 1960 JFK ad. What a fraud. To quote Lloyd Bentsen, slightly modified: ‘Bobby, you’re John Kennedy. In fact, you are an ally of Trump. ”
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