Democrats condemn RFK Jr. over ‘reprehensible’ COVID-19 remarks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing fierce backlash over his claims that the COVID-19 virus was manipulated to target white and Black people while avoiding Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.

The conspiratorial comments, which were first reported by the New York Post, have caused a firestorm among Democrats, many of whom have already shared concerns about his insurgent primary challenge to President Biden.

Kennedy responded by calling the charges of antisemitism and anti-Asian racism leveled against him “a disgusting fabrication.” But many Democrats say the claims just confirm their beliefs that much of what he stands for is antithetical to their party.

Two Democratic House members argued they should disqualify him from the White House.

“Anyone who traffics in anti-Asian and antisemitic conspiracy theories, as RFK Jr. has done, are unworthy of the highest office in the land,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) told The Hill on Monday. 

Torres, a moderate who has expressed strong support for Israel, said those who are defending Kennedy after learning about his latest remarks are “not to be taken seriously.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who is Jewish, said “yes” in a text message when asked if he also believes the comments should make Kennedy a non-starter for the White House. 

Over the weekend, Kennedy amplified a false theory that the deadly coronavirus pandemic was “ethnically targeted” and that “COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” suggesting Chinese people and certain Jewish people were the “most immune” to the virus. 

“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” he added, according to the New York Post.

Democratic officials and anti-discrimination leaders immediately challenged the veracity of Kennedy’s claims, which he sought to backtrack by saying in part he didn’t think the virus was “deliberately engineered.” 

But the fallout was swift, with Democratic leaders and aligned committees strongly distancing themselves from the stance many believe is unrepresentative and offensive to the party whose nomination he’s seeking.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a statement saying the environmental lawyer should be prevented from serving as an elected official.

“Last week, RFK Jr. made reprehensible antisemitic and anti-Asian comments aimed at perpetuating harmful and debunked racist tropes,” it read. “Such dangerous racism and hate have no place in America, demonstrate him to be unfit for public office, and must be condemned.”

Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also called the comments “deeply troubling,” tweeting that “they do not represent the views of the Democratic Party.”

Even his sister, Kerry Kennedy, who serves as the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, said she “STRONGLY” condemns her brother’s “deplorable and untruthful remarks.”

As the leading Democratic primary challenger, the 69-year-old Kennedy has come under intense scrutiny over his views on vaccines and for sowing skepticism about the science-based information Democrats have relied on to address the pandemic. 

Vaccine and infectious disease experts, as well as other members of the medical community, have regularly condemned Kennedy’s stances that have questioned the effectiveness of life-saving shots. 

And now, some say the false claims about ethnic targeting inject a new threat into a political climate in which instances of racism and antisemitism are already on the rise. 

“That tape should be the end of his candidacy,” said Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist and expert on COVID-19. “You can’t support him, platform him, even report on him without understanding that he obviously is a bigot.”

Kennedy’s comments come after also recently asserting without proof that “the Chinese are developing ethnic bio-weapons.”

Many Democrats have argued against giving Kennedy airtime or taking his challenge to Biden too seriously. They see his repeated anti-vaccine rhetoric as dangerous and introducing or perpetuating racist conspiracies as equally harmful.

“To me, he’s crossed a line,” Caplan said. 

In the early months of his upstart campaign, Kennedy has shown signs of traction. He’s polled in double digits in a handful of surveys and has managed to stay on top of some critical headlines without too much damage to his bid. 

He’s also been able to seize on Biden’s low popularity and voter apathy, tailoring his messaging to those who want to see someone else be nominated and elected in November.

But a growing number of Democrats, civil rights advocates and medical experts believe his most recent comments are a bridge too far and could significantly complicate his path to the nomination.

Some feel even stronger, arguing it could end his campaign, noting the nature of a tape recording is different from other reporting that can be easily disputed by the candidate.  

“The tape speaks for itself. He’s trying to walk it back,” Caplan said. “It’s really hard to walk back speaking in your own words of racism.”