Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces accusations of antisemitism and racism after being recorded repeating unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that the Covid-19 virus was “ethnically focused” and bioengineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese language folks. Advocacy teams swiftly condemned the Democratic presidential candidate’s remarks, and he notably drew the ire of many main Democrats.
“Covid-19 is focused to assault Caucasians and Black folks,” Kennedy remarked at a press dinner in New York Metropolis. “The people who find themselves most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese language.” Kennedy added, “We do not know whether or not it is intentionally focused that or not.” A recording of his feedback was initially revealed by the New York Publish.
The Anti-Defamation League condemned his “deeply offensive” assertions and mentioned they fed into “Sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories” about Covid-19. Kennedy has defended his feedback as “misunderstood,” however the injury could already be completed. Relating to his prospects as a consultant for the Democratic occasion, the response from his potential colleagues doesn’t bode effectively for the longshot candidate.
His claims don’t characterize the views of his occasion
After the Publish revealed the video, a number of main Democrats took to Twitter to admonish Kennedy’s feedback. Some had been eager on distancing his actions from the occasion as a complete. Democratic Nationwide Committee Chair Jaime Harrison criticized his “deeply troubling feedback” in a tweet, including that he wished to “clarify that they don’t characterize the views of the Democratic Occasion.”
His rhetoric is divisive and factually incorrect
Others identified that his feedback contradict the fact of who was affected by the virus. U.S. Home member Rep. Ted Lieu (D) of California tweeted, “Hundreds of thousands and thousands and thousands of individuals died from Covid-19 worldwide, together with Individuals who had been Jewish or of Chinese language descent.”
RFK Jr.’s “anti-Semitic and anti-Asian rhetoric is harmful, baseless and unacceptable,” Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) opined. “Hate crimes towards the Jewish and Asian American communities have skyrocketed, and we can not permit folks to stoke the flames of violence towards them.”
Fellow presidential candidate Marianne Williamson called Kennedy’s remarks “sinister,” “unfounded,” “anti-Semitic” and “anti-Chinese language.” As a “Jewish American candidate,” Williamson stands “towards this covert racism writ massive.” RFK Jr.’s language “serves solely to divide us additional at a second after we want desperately to unite.”
He is dishonoring his household’s title
“Onerous to think about a son who has completed extra to dishonor his father’s title than RFK Jr.,” New York’s Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) wrote on Twitter, referring to the elder Robert F. Kennedy. Torres blasted Kennedy as a “full crackpot who has no enterprise being anyplace close to the presidency.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) known as RFK Jr. “a shame to the Kennedy title and the Democratic Occasion” in a tweet. “For the report, my complete household, who’s Jewish, bought Covid,” he added.