Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been one of the most controversial figures in American public life. As a man born into political royalty, he has become a lightning rod for the nation’s divisions over science, politics, and truth itself.
The son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Jr. grew up amid the glow and tragedy of America’s most famous political dynasty.
His childhood was marked by trauma: the assassinations of his father in 1968 and his uncle five years earlier left lasting psychological scars. Friends and family describe a man shaped as much by loss as by legacy.
Kennedy turned to drugs, including heroin, while in school, according to his own autobiography. Despite his substandard academic record in boarding schools his wealth, privilege, and the Kennedy name secured him a spot at Harvard.
After graduating from the University of Virginia Law School and eventually passing the bar, Kennedy built an early reputation as an environmental lawyer and activist.
But his personal life was tumultuous.
His use of drugs became public knowledge. He had a series of extramarital affairs which is thought to have caused the suicide of his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy.
In recent years, Kennedy reinvented himself as a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement. Once dismissed as a fringe figure, he gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic by casting doubt on vaccines and promoting health-related conspiracy theories. His organization, Children’s Health Defense, became a major source of vaccine misinformation.
Kennedy’s political turn stunned even longtime observers. After an independent presidential bid faltered in 2024, he aligned himself with Donald Trump and joined the Republican administration as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Critics call it the ultimate irony — a vaccine skeptic leading the nation’s top public health agency. His tenure has been marked by deep staff cuts, clashes with the CDC, and a broader erosion of public trust in health institutions.
Guest:
Mike Wiser is the director/producer of FRONTLINE “The Rise of RFK Jr.” He has worked on more than 60 films for FRONTLINE since joining the Kirk Documentary Group in 2003. An award-winning writer and producer, he has reported on national security, foreign affairs, sports, criminal justice, and the global financial crisis.
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This interview will be recorded live Monday, Oct. 20, 2025 at noon.
