At first glance, the Kennedys celebrating St. Patrick's Day at the White House isn't a surprising scenario. President Biden has Irish roots; the Kennedy clan is perhaps the most famous Irish American family there is; it makes sense. That is, until you remember that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running against President Biden in the 2024 election.
Several of RFK Jr.'s cousins used the visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to make clear where their loyalties lie this election. Multiple members of the family shared images from the day on social media, with varying endorsements of the President Biden. "Happy St. Patrick’s day. Thank you for having us, President Biden. You are the best @potus!" wrote RFK Jr.'s younger sister Rory Kennedy.
Their sister Kerry echoed, "It’s not enough to wish the world were better, you must make the world better @POTUS President Biden, you make the world better. Happy St. Patrick’s Day." "Small family gathering this afternoon!" shared former Congressman Joe Kennedy III.
And Bobby Shriver posted simply, "#Kennedy family votes for Biden!"
This is not the first time that members of the Kennedy family have indicated that they will not be voting for RFK Jr. When he announced that he was dropping out of the Democratic primary, confirming his plans to run as an Independent, four of RFK Jr.'s siblings shared a message denouncing his candidacy.
"The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country," reads a post shared by Rory last fall. "Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country." In addition to Rory, the message was signed by Kerry, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. RFK Jr. later said that the three dozen or so Kennedys in the now-viral image represents "a very small percentage of my family."
That said, some of the other missing Kennedys have also spoken out against RFK Jr.'s campaign. For example, Caroline Kennedy's son Jack Schlossberg previously called RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy an "embarrassment."
"I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be president," Schlossberg said in a July 2023 video. He also accused RFK Jr. of "trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories, and conflict for personal gain and fame," and offered a full-throated endorsement of President Biden.
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
