Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged playing a role in facilitating a visit of several dozen members of the Kennedy family meeting with President Biden at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day.
While downplaying the size of the group, Kennedy noted his campaigning against Biden in the 2020 primaries and ongoing disputes with relatives over his embrace of conspiracy theories and vaccine opposition.
“Last July 4, I think there were 105 people at the Cape,” Kennedy said, noting that “many other family members are working for my campaign” and “many other family members support it.”
“It’s not enough to wish the world were better, you must make the world better” @POTUS President Biden, you make the world better. Happy St. Patrick’s Day ☘️@vradenburg3 @Mkennedycuomo @vickikennedy2277 @amykennedy715 @pjk4brainhealt @roryekennedy @maxeykennedy pic.twitter.com/UZBcUjtEDh
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) March 18, 2024
However, he expressed happiness at bringing his family such joy through the White House visit.
“President Biden is an old friend of my family,” he said. “I understand that many of them disagree with me on the war in Ukraine. They disagree with me on COVID, on some of the public health issues. They disagree with me on the free speech issue. So, you know, we can disagree with each other in a friendly way and still love each other. They look very happy in that photograph. And you know, it’s very exhilarating—it’s intoxicating— being in the White House.”
Kennedy further hinted at his status as a black sheep by saying he hopes some family members requested Secret Service protection for his own presidential campaign, which has been denied protection multiple times by the Department of Homeland Security.
“I played a role, I think, in facilitating that visit to the White House and bringing them all such happiness, so I’m happy about that,” he said. “I do hope at least a couple of them took the time to talk to President Biden and ask him to provide me with Secret Service protection. So that’s my hope.”
