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What to know about RFK Jr., the controversial conspiracy theorist who ran for president and joined Donald Trump’s campaign

October 3, 20240
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits “Fox & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on July 14, 2023, in New York City.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 70, is John F. Kennedy’s nephew.
  • He is a lawyer known for promoting baseless anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
  • Kennedy ran against Biden in the 2024 primaries, switched to an independent, and endorsed Trump.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer who has interview with his daughter Kick resurfaced — in it, she said her father had decapitated a dead whale they’d found on a beach near the Kennedy home in Hyannis Port when she was 6. According to Kick, he strapped the whale head to the roof of their minivan before their drive back to New York, prompting “whale juice” to “pour into the windows of the car.”

In September, the National Marine Fisheries Service told the Associated Press it was investigating the incident. In response to reporters’ questions about the incident, Kennedy said, “I’m not interested in feeding that feature of the mainstream media.”

In September, journalist Oliver Darcy broke the news that Kennedy had been in a relationship with New York magazine political reporter Olivia Nuzzi.
Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Paul Morigi/Getty Images; John Parra/Getty Images for Latino Wall Street

“Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal,” Nuzzi said in a statement to Darcy. “During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”

Nuzzi was placed on leave from New York magazine, and editor in chief David Haskell hired a law firm to investigate the matter and conduct a review of her reporting.

A representative for Kennedy denied the relationship, telling The New York Times, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.” However, The Daily Beast reported that Kennedy had bragged about the relationship, making it something of an open secret in some circles.

In October, Nuzzi accused her ex-fiancé, Politico reporter Ryan Lizza, of blackmail. In a court filing, Nuzzi said that Lizza “threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation — a threat he has since carried out.”

Lizza denied the claims.

“I am saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to making a series of false accusations against me as a way to divert attention from her own personal and professional failings,” he said in a statement. “I emphatically deny these allegations and I will defend myself against them vigorously and successfully.”