In his campaign for the US presidency, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed his anti-vaccine beliefs, but a podcast interview has brought them back to the forefront.
After expressing his anti-vaccine opinions on the Joe Rogan podcast, Mr. Kennedy, who is running for president in the Democratic primary, has drawn criticism.
Last Thursday, he made an appearance on the hugely popular series, which is renowned for its diverse conversations and a range of guests, including some who hold controversial or erroneous views.
As the leader of the anti-vaccine organization Children's Health Defense, he is now receiving criticism for repeating several unfounded claims. One of them was the widely disproven theory that vaccinations cause autism.
The controversy has drawn attention to Mr. Kennedy's anti-vaccination views, which he largely avoided discussing on the campaign trail.
Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Peter Hotez. He has appeared as a guest on Mr. Rogan's podcast as well, but he tweeted that the interview with Mr. Kennedy was "just awful.".
According to the doctor, this started a wave of abuse. Additionally, if Dr. Hotez debates Mr. Kennedy about vaccines, Mr. Rogan and others have offered to donate sizable sums of money to charity.
Let's have the civil, cordial discussion that the American people have been waiting for, Mr. Kennedy tweeted. " .
Dr. Hotez has thus far declined the offers. In interviews, he has stated that while he would be willing to return to Mr. Rogan's show, he does not wish to debate Mr. Kennedy.
Despite coming from one of America's most well-known political families, Mr. Kennedy went on to become well-known for his legal work on behalf of environmental causes.
He has long played a significant role in the anti-vaccine movement. He wrote an article for Rolling Stone and Salon in 2005 that asserted a connection between vaccines and autism. After criticism and fact-checking, it was later removed by both news organizations.
Along with the rest of the anti-vaccine movement, who used the Covid pandemic to further their cause, his profile has been rising.
Mr. Kennedy was identified in a 2021 CCDH report as one of the key propagandists of anti-vaccine myths, one of the so-called "disinformation dozen.".
The BBC and other organizations have been sued by Children's Health Defense, which claims that their views were censored as a result of violations of US anti-trust laws.
Despite the increased visibility for his foundation, Mr. Kennedy has not made his opinions on vaccinations the focal point of his presidential campaign.
He criticized Covid lockdowns, government spending, corporate power, and Donald Trump during a nearly two-hour speech he gave to launch his campaign in April. However, he didn't dwell on his anti-vaccination activism and only briefly mentioned vaccines.
The issue that boosted his popularity on social media and led several other Kennedy family members to oppose his campaign is not highlighted on his campaign website, but rather his views on the environment and civil liberties.
The omission can be explained simply by the fact that Mr. Kennedy's views on vaccinations are not well-liked within his own political party.
Being an anti-vaxxer is still a minority activity in the United States, according to Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit organization that fights misinformation.
He continues, "So he's sticking with a more general anti-establishment schtick.". He is trying very hard to conceal the fact that he is a fervent anti-vaxxer. ".
Democratic voters "overwhelming say" they support vaccines, including the Covid shot, according to Mark Schmitt, research director at the left-leaning think tank New America.
Republicans' views are more conflicted, but generally more positive than negative, according to Mr. Schmitt. He attributes Mr. Kennedy's appeal to Democrats as a result of name recognition.
Senator Joe Biden is up against Mr. Kennedy, the 69-year-old son of the assassinated senator Robert F. Kennedy. Despite being considered a long shot, a number of recent polls indicate that he has the support of about 20% of Democratic voters.
According to Mr. Ahmed, "He's saying, I'm someone fresh but recognisable, I'm not from the establishment but you know my family.".
For a response, the BBC contacted both Mr. Kennedy and Spotify, the podcast's host.
