Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954), commonly referred to as RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental attorney, author, and outspoken anti-vaccine advocate. He has also promoted various conspiracy theories. Since 2025, he has served as the 26th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
26th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
Incumbent
Assumed office: February 13, 2025
President: Donald Trump
Deputy: Jim O'Neill
Preceded by: Xavier Becerra
Personal Details
Born: Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., January 17, 1954 (age 71), Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political Party: Democratic (until 2023), Independent (2023–present)
Spouses:
- Emily Black (married 1982; divorced 1994)
- Mary Richardson (married 1994; died 2012)
- Cheryl Hines (married 2014–present)
Children: 6
Parents: Robert F. Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy
Relatives: Kennedy family
Education:
- Harvard University (BA)
- London School of Economics
- University of Virginia (JD)
- Pace University (LLM)
Occupation: Environmental lawyer
A member of the renowned Kennedy family, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the nephew of U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy. He began his professional career as an assistant district attorney in New York City. In the mid-1980s, he joined two environmental nonprofits, Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). In 1986, he became an adjunct professor of environmental law at Pace University School of Law and founded the school’s Environmental Litigation Clinic in 1987. In 1999, he established the Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental protection. Kennedy ran as a Democratic candidate, and later as an independent, in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, before withdrawing and endorsing Donald Trump.
Since 2005, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a prominent promoter of vaccine misinformation and public health conspiracy theories, including the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. He is the founder and former chairman of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy organization that has also spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy has authored several books, including The Riverkeepers (1997), Crimes Against Nature (2004), The Real Anthony Fauci (2021), and A Letter to Liberals (2022).
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