Wi-Fi causes cancer and "leaky brain," Kennedy told podcaster Joe Rogan last month. Antidepressants are to blame for school shootings, he mused during an appearance with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Chemicals in the water supply could turn children transgender, he told right-wing Canadian psychologist and podcaster Jordan Peterson, echoing a false assertion made by serial fabulist Alex Jones. AIDS may not be caused by HIV, he has suggested multiple times.

There's no credible evidence for any of these assertions or for Kennedy's longest-running false claims: that vaccines cause autism and are more harmful than the diseases they're designed to protect against.

Yet Kennedy is building a campaign for the highest office around these conspiracy theories and the idea that fact-checking or criticizing them amounts to censorship. His throughline is the bedrock conspiratorial premise that "they" (the government, pharmaceutical companies, the media) are lying to you — but that he is telling the truth.

RFK Jr. is building a presidential campaign around conspiracy theories

Republicans have painted up the Democratic Party as the party of "big government" since before the New Deal. Huey Long, Democrat, was effectively a socialist. Eisenhower was the most leftist Republican to hold office - he effectively rebuilt Europe as semi-socialist - and his principle argument was against the 'military industrial complex.'

Kennedy can't officially run as a Democrat without party endorsement and the Democratic Party is, barring catastrophe, endorsing Biden. That said, RFK's core plank has been "the government is lying to you" since 2005. Lyndon LaRouche was ostensibly a Democrat as well but no one, in the history of his political career, considered him a serious candidate for office.

The difference between Lyndon LaRouche and RFK Jr. is the 'boomers still worship his parents for some reason.

The Kennedys were fucking awful politicians and fucking awful people. The hagiography around them is one of the most embarrassing things about the Democratic Party - Joe Kennedy bought the 1960 election for his son, JFK slow walked the Civil Rights Act so that he'd never have to pass it, Bobby was an incompetent and unqualified attorney general, their state department launched the Vietnam War by mistake, they fomented the Cuban Missile Crisis out of sheer lethargy and their heirs are mostly known for rape and murder.

Even then? if there was a single elected office on this page he might be taken more seriously. People whinged about Obama's lack of political experience yet at least that dude had spent two years as a Senator. RFK Jr. has never so much as run for dog catcher. And that, above all else, "precludes him from being a democrat." The DNC are nothing if not thorough plodders and if there had ever been any serious intent to run RFK Jr for office they would have done it in the '80s.

Think about that. the '80s Democratic Party. Choosing not to groom a Kennedy.