Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the 26th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services since 2025. Born January 17, 1954, in Washington, D.C.. Positions held include United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2025–). Known for Ring of Fire. Educated at London School of Economics and Political Science and Harvard University. Awards include American Book Awards and Time 100.
Facts
52 facts · 1 confirmed by two sources · 18 cited · 33 from one source
Where this comes from
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What Wikidata says · copied November 13, 2026 · revision 2562779428
- Described as
- 26th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services since 2025
- Other names
- Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., Robert Francis Kennedy, RFK Jr., Robert Kennedy Jr., Bobby Kennedy Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., RFK, Jr., Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Jr., RFKJ
- Born
- January 17, 1954 · 4 references
- Born in
- Washington, D.C. · 3 references
- Name at birth
- Robert Francis Kennedy Jr.
- Citizen of
- United States · 1 reference
- Occupation
- radio personality; lawyer · 2 references; biographer; anti-vaccine activist; blogger; university teacher; politician · 3 references; jurist · 1 reference
- Positions held
- United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (2025–) · 3 references
- Political party
- Democratic Party (1972–2023); independent politician (2023–)
- Worked for
- Pace University
- Education
- London School of Economics and Political Science; Harvard University; University of Virginia School of Law; Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University; Sidwell Friends School · 1 reference; Georgetown Preparatory School · 1 reference
- Member of
- disinformation dozen; MAHA Commission
- Known for
- Ring of Fire
- Awards
- American Book Awards (2005); Time 100 (2025) · 1 reference
- Field
- law · 1 reference; environmental law · 1 reference; conspiracy theory · 1 reference
- Spouse
- Emily Black (1982–1994) · 2 references; Mary Richardson Kennedy (1994–2012) · 2 references; Cheryl Hines (2014–)
- Children
- Robert F. Kennedy III · 1 reference; Kathleen Kennedy · 1 reference; Conor Kennedy; Kyra Kennedy; Aiden Caohman Vieques Kennedy; William Finbar Kennedy
- Father
- Robert F. Kennedy · 3 references
- Mother
- Ethel Kennedy · 3 references
- Siblings
- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend; Joseph P. Kennedy II; David A. Kennedy · 1 reference; Courtney Kennedy Hill; Michael LeMoyne Kennedy · 1 reference; Kerry Kennedy; Christopher G. Kennedy; Max Kennedy; Douglas Harriman Kennedy; Rory Kennedy
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Wikipedias with a page
- 54
Wikidata item Q1352872 (wikidata.org/wiki/Q1352872), public domain (CC0). Copied November 13, 2026.
What Wikipedia says · copied November 13, 2026 · revision 1385415121
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (born January 17, 1954), also known by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist serving as the 26th United States secretary of health and human services since 2025. A member of the prominent Kennedy family, he is a son of Senator and US attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and a nephew of US president John F. Kennedy and US senator Ted Kennedy.
Kennedy began his career as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. In the mid-1980s, he joined two nonprofits focused on environmental protection: Riverkeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). In 1986, he became an adjunct professor of environmental law at Pace University School of Law, and in 1987 he founded Pace's Environmental Litigation Clinic. In 1999, Kennedy founded the nonprofit environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance. He first ran as a member of the Democratic Party and later started an independent campaign in the 2024 presidential election, before withdrawing from the race and endorsing the Republican Party's nominee, Donald Trump.
Since 2005, Kennedy has promoted vaccine misinformation and public-health conspiracy theories, including the chemtrail conspiracy theory, HIV/AIDS denialism, and the scientifically disproved claim of a causal link between vaccines and autism. He has drawn criticism for fueling vaccine hesitancy amid a social climate that gave rise to the deadly measles outbreaks in Samoa and Tonga. Kennedy has said that all his children were vaccinated and, during the 2025 measles outbreak, publicly encouraged people to get the measles vaccine.
Kennedy is the founder and former chairman of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group and proponent of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. He has written books including The Riverkeepers (1997), Crimes Against Nature (2004), The Real Anthony Fauci (2021), and A Letter to Liberals (2022).
In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Kennedy for secretary of health and human services (HHS). In February 2025, the Senate confirmed Kennedy by a vote of 52 to 48, and he was sworn in shortly thereafter amid strong opposition from scientists and medical groups. His tenure has been marked by controversial actions on vaccines, public health policy, and agency leadership that have drawn significant legal, scientific, and political criticism.
- Born, in its opening lines
- January 17, 1954
From the Wikipedia article “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy_Jr.), by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Copied November 13, 2026; not changed.
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