In a rare moment of candor, outgoing US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy openly criticized the views of her cousin, Robert F Kennedy Jr, on vaccines, calling them “dangerous” as he stands to take on a key health role in the incoming Trump administration.
Speaking to reporters after a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, Kennedy didn’t mince words about RFK Jr, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to oversee US health agencies despite his history of promoting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
I think Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous … but I don’t think that most Americans share them. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Caroline Kennedy, US Ambassador to Australia
Kennedy, who is set to leave her post as Trump takes office, acknowledged the awkward position of commenting on both politics and family. “I’m not supposed to comment on politics and now you’re asking me to also comment on family,” she quipped before offering her unvarnished take on RFK Jr’s controversial stance.
Family Legacy vs. Fringe Views
Ambassador Kennedy sought to distance RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine advocacy from the Kennedy family’s long-standing support for public health. She pointed to her uncle Ted Kennedy’s 50-year Senate career fighting for affordable healthcare and her Aunt Eunice’s founding of the Special Olympics and contributions to maternal and child health.
I would say that our family is united in terms of our support for the public health sector and infrastructure and has the greatest admiration for the medical profession in our country, and Bobby Kennedy has got a different set of views.
Caroline Kennedy
Other Controversial Picks
RFK Jr wasn’t the only Trump pick to raise eyebrows. Former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, known for her pro-Russia views, has been tapped to lead national intelligence – a move Kennedy warned “would obviously … be of great concern” while vowing to “wait and see” how nominations unfold.
The ambassador assured that the deep intelligence-sharing relationship between the US and Australia would endure regardless of who takes the helm. “We have no more trusted or capable ally and that’s going to continue,” she affirmed.
An Uncertain Road Ahead
As one of America’s closest allies, Australia is watching the US transition anxiously, seeking exemption from any new tariffs and banking on the recent AUKUS security pact to acquire nuclear submarines to deter growing threats in the Indo-Pacific.
On climate, a signature issue for the outgoing ambassador, Kennedy held out hope that green energy momentum would continue even if efforts under Trump are “not as fast” as the global crisis demands. “The green energy transition is under way and is supported by the private sector,” she maintained.
As the curtain closes on her tenure, Ambassador Kennedy’s blunt assessment of the turbulent political landscape offers a window into the uncertainties of the bilateral relationship in the Trump era. With unconventional figures ascending to key posts, Australians are left reading the tea leaves on how deep ties will fare in uncharted waters.
