Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized after a $7 million Super Bowl ad promoting his presidential campaign aired. The ad, funded by American Values 2024, echoed a 1960 ad for his uncle, John F. Kennedy.
Despite sharing it on X, Kennedy expressed regret to his family, though he didn't remove the ad from his account.
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote. “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.”
Kennedy's press secretary, Stefanie Spear, had a positive view of the Super Bowl ad, valued at $7 million by American Values co-founder Tony Lyons, as reported by CBS News.
“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 said to CBS News.
Robert Shrum criticized the ad as "plagiarism" and challenged Kennedy's comparison to his uncle on X, saying, "Bobby, you’re no John Kennedy. Instead you are a Trump ally." Kennedy's anti-vax stance has garnered him 14% in polls, marking him as a possible disruptor against main candidates President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Here's JFK's original ad:
In October, RFK Jr.'s siblings publicly opposed his decision to run as an independent candidate.