Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Values , the super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s candidacy for president, today announced a spend of $7M for the now overly famous ad run in the first half of yesterday's Super Bowl.
• The backlash falls on the heels of last week's announcement from the DNC that it filed a federal election complaint against AV24.
• The American people are waking up, and the DNC's only hope is to prevent them from having a choice," added Gorton.
• For additional information on the ad please read the latest article on the Kennedy Beacon.

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a self-described vaccine sceptic, announced his candidacy to run for president as a Democrat in April.
• Our new study on the rhetorical techniques used to spread vaccine disinformation partly explains Kennedy’s appeal to voters.
• We examined the strategies of RFK Jr and American osteopath Joseph Mercola, two prominent members of the “disinformation dozen”.

1. Identity and belonging

• COVID truthers offer their followers access to an exclusive in-group identity.
• They adhere to a dualistic belief system that divides the world into good and bad actors, light and dark forces.
• For COVID truthers, it is not simply that their opponents have acted through ignorance or error – they frame them as corrupt and evil.

2. True knowledge and enlightenment

• Figures such as Kennedy and Mercola capitalise on this, appealing to those disillusioned with the government’s official narrative.
• They present themselves as having access to privileged knowledge and understanding.
• They do this by revealing alternative “facts” that contradict the official narrative, and that they claim have been concealed from the public.

3. Meaning and purpose

• COVID truthers provide their followers with meaning, offering a reason to believe in a greater purpose.
• This can take the form of New Age spirituality, suggesting that humanity is undergoing a “shift in consciousness”, or a more secular commitment to truth, freedom and justice.
• Kennedy frequently deploys the language of social justice in his posts and newsletters, as a rallying call to unite his followers.

4. Leadership and guidance

• Kennedy’s campaign contrasts the power of corrupt government institutions, corporate cronyism and nefarious media elites with the powerlessness that the disenfranchised public feels.
• As a consequence, he positions himself as an incorruptible leader with the capacity to “clean up government”, restore civil liberties, and speak truth to power.

Why this matters

• Filings with charity regulators show that revenue for Kennedy’s organisation more than doubled in 2020, to US$6.8 million.
• In our current post-truth era, where opinions often triumph over facts, influencers and celebrities can achieve authority.