Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is facing widespread criticism from political leaders and civil rights organizations after a video surfaced of him making false claims that COVID-19 was designed to attack certain ethnic groups while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people — a conspiracy theory that drew accusations of antisemitism and racism.
See you just made up an entire conspiracy theory and saying RFK Jr. believes in it.
He did not say what you said he did. He said that it affects jews and asians different than black people. That’s factual.
Stop making up reasons to hate people you disagree with. Listen to them and argue against what they say, not the words you put in their mouth.
Sickle cell targets african americans. Am I now saying there’s a whole conspiracy against the black population by deliberately infecting them with sickle cell?
There are vast differences on how different ethnicities were able to combat the virus.
That’s a fact.
No idea why you’re supporting this man.
Because I’ve listened to what he says and his interactions with people, instead of basing my impressions on him on headlines.
People really need to be more educated to read between the lines instead of taking everything at face value.
Agreed, and they’d see this article and made up controversy is just big media calling the shots. Listen to the candidates interviews and interactions, and I promise you’ll understand every candidate better than just the media conglomerates narratives.
This was clearly a racist and antisemitic comment
Saying that some ethnicities handled the virus better/worse is not racist, nor antisemitic.
Sickle cell affects african americans more than other ethnicities. Is that racist to say?
Sickle cell does not “target” blacks, it is genetically inherited trait. It affects blacks more often as it is thought to have evolved in sub-Saharan Africans as protection from malaria. www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/index.html. So your statement isn’t really a conspiracy, it’s just uninformed.
RFK Jr is on video talking about bioweapons and in that context said that “There’s an argument that it is ethnically targeted…” nypost.com/…/rfk-jr-says-covid-was-ethnically-tar…. People of color are affected by most diseases more that white people. This is not a new phenomenon and is related to racial disparities. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8513546/. Also, the Chinese were hit as hard as everyone else.
How does someone like this even get near a mainstream party in the US? The closest I can think of in the UK was Andrew Bridgen but he was kicked out the Tories for spreading vaccine disinformation. Then anyone else with those views, like Piers Corbyn and Lawrence Fox were stuck in minor fringe groups to begin with.
This guy is just saying out loud what large parts of the population are thinking.
I’m not Jewish, but antisemitism was pretty normalized in the south, but to be fair, they’re pretty intolerant of anyone who isn’t from their specific version of protestantism.
Can’t the Democrats do the equivilent of “taking the whip” like what happened to Andrew Bridgen in the UK? Distance themselves from him and not let him run for them?
They will. When primaries come, the Democratic party will soundly and democratically (little d) reject his attempt to represent them by not voting for him. Even before then, he will be rejected because nobody is going to give him the time of day when it comes to setting up a debate or using party resources to facilitate his campaign. Until then, he is not a representative of the party, just a dude who says he wants to represent the party. I could just as easily say I want to represent the Republican party by running a campaign on aborting every single fetus in the United States and then holding a giant gay orgy before forcing all cisgender people to undergo surgical transition. Obviously I would not be representative of the Republican party. Same with this guy and the Democratic party. The only reason it feels like this guy is in any way legitimate or affiliated with the Democratic party is because of how early primary/election coverage starts.
People familiar with the matter told the outlet that Bannon hoped Kennedy could serve as a “useful chaos agent” in the election while also spreading “anti-vaccine sentiment around the country,” according to CBS News’ Robert Costa.
That’s the evidence?? Unnamed sources telling a reporter this? come on man.
How does someone like this even get near a mainstream party in the US?
All it takes to be a Democrat is to check a box when you register to vote (same for any other party in the US). There is nothing stopping anyone who wants to from running for the Democratic nomination. Needless to say, he isn’t endorsed by the Democratic Party and doesn’t have any real popular support. As for why he wants to be known as a Democrat–I’m not an expert on the guy but I do know that he is one of the children of the Kennedy dynasty from the '60s; the Democratic Party is part of his brand, I suppose. He is not a serious candidate, he is almost certainly running specifically to raise his profile and increase the number of followers he has as a professional conspiracy grifter (which has been his occupation for decades now).
How does someone like this even get near a mainstream party in the US?
Because despite the media disliking him, he’s reasonable if you watch his interviews and his interactions instead of reading headlines and determining your opinion of him by one bias sentence.
Yes, how ‘reasonable’ of him to suggest COVID-19 was a bioweapon designed to spare Jews and Chinese people. That’s the very definition of a reasonable position that is not in any way bigoted and fucking nuts.
He was talking about COVID in the context of bioweapons that could target ethnic groups. I saw the whole video. You’re not going to be able to gaslight me by attempting to take just the COVID part out of context.
Kennedy later posted a video statement on Sunday, saying in part: “Nobody has suggested that these were deliberately engineered changes and I certainly don’t believe that they were deliberately engineered,” but calling it “kind of a proof of concept that you can develop bioweapons that will attack certain ethnicities.”
Gaslighting by telling me I didn’t see and hear what I saw and heard. You keep talking about the article as if there wasn’t video. I think it’s pretty clear you haven’t actually watched the video.
I would be amazed if they weren’t hit harder, many orthodox jews live in dense communities and there is a genetic disposition to immunodeficiency disorders.
Keep calling out this deranged motherfucker. He's responsible for countless deaths:
During the pandemic, Kennedy has become a near-ubiquitous source of false information about COVID-19 and vaccines. Earlier this year, Kennedy was named one of the “Disinformation Dozen” by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which says he and the Children’s Health Defense website are among the top spreaders of false information about vaccines online.
....note that the Children's Heath Defense organization is Kennedy's personal charity, and...
The AP found links to Children’s Health Defense articles all over Facebook. While many were shared as posts on the pages of fellow anti-vaccine activists, many more could be found in the comments sections on pages that people turn to for reliable information, including official government Facebook pages in all 50 states, and in health departments in nearly every state.
“The vaccine was not created to save us all from a pandemic. The pandemic was created to get us to take the vaccine and more,” one person wrote in February below a North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Facebook post.
Then, they linked to a January Children’s Health Defense article that claimed 329 deaths following the COVID-19 shot had been reported to VAERS, a federal vaccine safety surveillance system that has been misused by anti-vaccine activists.
“Every Friday, the true American hero Robert F Kennedy Jr. pulls the data from the VAERS report. Here is the latest up until 1/22,” the commenter wrote. Another user replied that the comment had been reported for dishonesty, but it was still up 10 months later.
...as a result:
Since January, Children’s Health Defense’s COVID-19 vaccine-related posts were shared more frequently on Twitter than links to vaccine content on mainstream sites including CNN, Fox News, NPR and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Indiana University’s Observatory on Social Media, which tracks COVID-19 vaccine-related content on Twitter. In some weeks, it found, CHD COVID-19 vaccine content was shared more often than that of The New York Times and The Washington Post.
You know what's really weird? RFK supported Sirhan Sirhan's release - went against his entire family to do so too. I think the guy has some dark daddy issues.
Remember when the Kennedy name was a mark of quality for politicians and not a surgeon general's warning? "Caution: May contain high levels of crazy."
And to think that phony "No Labels" organization actually supports this guy! How about we elect a politician that actually DOES stuff instead of spreading conspiracy theories and demonizing already disenfranchised groups of people? Denying a transgender person health care never put food on my table, just sayin'.
His claim is insane and insanely racist but there should by a conversation on how COVID negatively effected oppressed minorities and how in general their health service is so horrendous.
What he said sounds bad, especially when we just read the headlines and think we know the context, but he’s just saying the virus doesn’t affect every ethnicity the same.
We know that. It’s fact. You agree with it. So why is the claim insane?
There is a difference in saying that there is a disparity in health outcomes due to racism and saying there is a Jewish-chinese conspiracy to destroy the white race. They are actually nothing alike.
He implied the virus was bio engineered and Ashkenazi and Han were made immune are you being deliberately dense. Here is his quote
“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,”
He also said
“COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he continued, adding, “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.”
“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,”
Are you claiming that there are no differences between ethnicities and the harshness of covid?
COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he continued, adding, “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.”
What’s wrong with that? He said we don’t know the origins. That’s fact. He said we do know they affect different ethnicities differently, that’s fact.
You’re trying to push a narrative against him for that.
We don’t know the exact origins but we should assume given the likelihood it is and the lack of evidence otherwise that’s its perfectly natural to do otherwise is crazy. He is obviously throwing racist dog whistles that you are refusing to see that shows you are a racist and I really see no point talking to you.
And many big organizations say there’s a reasonable chance that it was lab altered.
we should assume given the likelihood it is and the lack of evidence otherwise that’s its perfectly natural
We don’t know the origins, as you said before, but we should assume it was natural? I don’t assume either way, but it seems weird you claimed both these things.
He is obviously throwing racist dog whistles
No, he’s not. He said that we don’t know if it was created/altered by humans or not.
But we do know it affects different ethnicities differently, which is, once again, objectively right.
refusing to see that shows you are a racist
Refusing to think like you makes me a racist? I think we have different definitions of racist.
The vast majority of diseases are natural so assuming its engineered without hard evidence is silly. What big organizations not tainted by racism or a conservative political agenda say believe the insane lab leak theory or worse deliberate infections. He implied heavily that the virus was made by a jewish chinese alliance to hurt americans that’s a racist talking point that you think its not and you are getting upvoted and me down voted makes me rethink using this website. How does it affect different “races” differently races don’t exist biologically so any effect would have to do with culturally health support and other factors. Saying covid was a deliberate jewish conspiracy is racist yes do you not think saying that is?
The vast majority of diseases are natural so assuming its engineered without hard evidence is silly
The scientific community has been vocal that it’s reasonably likely it was altered in the coronavirus lab. You being anti-science is your problem, not RFK’s.
Except you are wrong they don’t believe that . The lab leak theory is total bunk. The natural zoonosis theory is the prevailing and evidence based opinion.
There’s enough consensus from the scientific community to say we don’t know, especially with the understanding that china is not transparent with the world.
So, once again
RFK said 2 facts. That’s it. Find some real dirt on him if you want to trash him.
Okay I’m done with this your racist peddling of an insane conspiracy theory is tiresome. You linked to what was a propaganda write up by conservative racist republicans with an agenda not the overwhelming consensus of scientists and experts.
Neither of the Science papers provide the smoking gun — that is, an animal infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at a market.
Republicans are lying g to you for pitiful points. Sorry.
Ahhhh yes, the government house oversight committee is just republicans. Read the sources, read the facts, listen to the organizations and scientists and they say it’s reasonably likely it was a lab leak of some sorts. Is it more likely that it was natural? Yes. But does that mean it 100% was and we shouldn’t question it, no. Absolutely not. You’re an idiot if you think it’s beyond question, and anti-science if you think it’s beyond question.
Yeah, this is very disingenuous. That was the single concession in an article full of proof that that meet market played an important role in spreading the virus, and that it is probable that is where transmission occurred. Short of detecting and recording the original infection, which is very unlikely to have happened due to the nature of the virus.
And yes, the house oversight committee is controlled by Republicans, because they make committee appointments after they gained control of the house of representatives in the 2022 midterms, and this was a political priority for them. If you read their release, it is clear that the questions were lead by Republicans.
Now we cannot be 100% sure what the origins are, so we can make a conspiracy theory that that chain engineered the virus and planted it, severly infecting their own population, in order to unleash a worldwide pandemic because… reasons…
Or we can acknowledge that a scenario that was pretty widely anticipated occurred, and it became a political priority for the Republicans to deny after trump started to, which they then pursued with their new policial power in the house. But a politician would never lie to you right?
"The Biden administration formally halted the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s access to US funding, citing unanswered safety and security questions for the facility at the center of the Covid lab leak theory. "
Oh wait, biden is probably just a right win lunatic, huh?
That lab has been very notorious for withholding data on the origins of the virus, and deserves sanctions. Doesn’t mean that Jews engineered it in collaboration with the Chinese government.
Actually that’s incorrect. There’s no consensus with multiple agencies coming to different conclusions ranging from maybe it was to we have no idea.
No one has found any smoking gun. But what is more telling is the conspiratards that dog pile on this topic as if the question of its origin somehow validates all their stupid bullshit over the past 3 years. It doesn’t, and all the anti mask anti vaccine idiots have blood on their hands that people like me will never, ever let them forget.
So until we find actual proof, this remains soundly in the category of unknowns.
"The Biden administration formally halted the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s access to US funding, citing unanswered safety and security questions for the facility at the center of the Covid lab leak theory. "
Oh wait, biden is probably just a right win lunatic “conspiratard”, huh?
Ah, trouble with reading comprehension I see. Don’t worry you’ll get there.
As I stated, there’s no consensus and no smoking gun, this also doesn’t cite the Biden administration claiming they caused the leak just that there are security concerns.
So this still proves nothing definitively, but it sure seems like you need it to prove something, which is the bigger issue in my mind. If you need it to be a lab leak to ‘show you were right all along’ you probably are generally incorrect about things and at worst are peddling racist conspiracy theories with no foundation other than that you want it to be true.
Covid showed just how shallow and stupid so many people are. We really got to see some of you guys show your true colors. Just know that there will always be people like me who will never let you forget what you did during that time.
Come on man, I didn’t say anything concrete, or say anythings proven. You just dismiss it because it’s not proven. There’s a middle ground, like ya know, percentages.
You have 1 percent, 2 percent, 10 percent, and so on and so forth. So there’s a scale rather than a binary “not proven, can’t exist”
There’s two equally compelling sources of the virus. The wet market located in wuhan which easily could have been a source. Or the lab where they were studying coronaviruses and also easily could have been a source.
It’s important to remember the reason the coronavirus lab was located in wuhan was specifically because there was a place locally where it could be easily obtained.
What’s the truth in that. How do you point to the exact source without making assumptions, and at that point you’re just filling in the blanks for whatever you want to believe or what supports your worldview .
You can point to lots of things that china fucked up about the pandemic, but as we have seen, even with advanced warning the US completely failed to prepare or appropriately handle the pandemic.
There’s a lot of people that need to be held accountable for their bullshit during that time. It’s better than grasping at xenophobic speculation.
The wet market located in wuhan which easily could have been a source. Or the lab where they were studying coronaviruses and also easily could have been a source.
Sweet. You finally agree with me of what the scientific communities consensus has been since they stopped censorship of the theory - there’s a reasonable likeliness it was a lab leak.
Again, I never said it wasn’t possible, just that there’s no proof that’s what it was. It’s pure speculation. And speculation to me is worth Fucking nothing, merely the folly of people with too much time on their hands .
You argued against me saying it was reasonably likely, and just said it was for “conspiratards.” I think that’s a core difference between us, I don’t compare people to retards simply because we have disagreements.
It’s okay to be wrong, move on bud, and try to be a bit nicer to people that have different opinions than you. It’s okay to disagree and be civil.
I’d have to be wrong first, and that’s not apparent here unfortunately. But I appreciate your willingness to jump into whatever speculative claim supports your skewed worldview.
Select? Attention? Hmm. That sounds like it has agency. But then a disease can’t have agency, so it must be someone with agency using the disease. Almost as if it’s a bioweapon.
Nope. Kennedy was when he mentioned COVID “targeting” certain ethnic groups in virtually the same breath as discussing bioweapons targeting certain ethnic groups. One thing directly related to the other. He didn’t have to draw a map.
COVID “targeting” certain ethnic groups in virtually the same breath as discussing bioweapons targeting certain ethnic groups. One thing directly related to the other.
He said 2 things:
viruses can be changed by humans
viruses can affect different minorities differently
In the article it even says "Kennedy later posted a video statement on Sunday, saying in part: “Nobody has suggested that these were deliberately engineered changes and I certainly don’t believe that they were deliberately engineered,” but calling it “kind of a proof of concept that you can develop bioweapons that will attack certain ethnicities.”
is it a bad sound bite? Yeah, should he be more careful, yeah. But no, he didn’t imply that it was a bioweapon created to target everyone but jews and chinese. He clarified after that he ‘certainly’ doesn’t believe they were engineered.
People just want to latch on to bad sound bites bc his parties mad he’s getting some traction against a senile 82 YO man.
It wasn’t a soundbite, it was a full video. I watched it. He was talking about the Chinese creating ethnic bioweapons and then pivoted to COVID not “targeting” Chinese people. It was not a change of subject, just a pivot. The obvious implication was that COVID was engineered. Why does he have to literally come out and say that explicitly? Does everything have to be literally spelled out to you?
I’m starting to think you didn’t watch the video and are trying to tell me what I saw and heard with my own eyes and ears was not what I saw and heard.
He was talking about covid in the context of engineered bioweapons. That the virus has been more severe with people of color can, and has been explained by racial inequity and access to care.
“The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system.” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7762908/#:~:….
What makes you think he was talking about covid in the context of engineered bioweapons?
He said “there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.”
You provided one such paper that shows that there are differences in how covid impacted different communities. Whether that’s due to obesity rates, socioeconomic status or healthcare access.
"Kennedy later posted a video statement on Sunday, saying in part: “Nobody has suggested that these were deliberately engineered changes and I certainly don’t believe that they were deliberately engineered,”
Add comment