RFK Jr.

Our exploration President #Trump's new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s tumultuous and troubled family life continues in Episode 15. In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will explore the #RFK family's connection to the savage murder of an innocent 15 year-old girl in 1975 -- a case that remains unsolved to this day. As you heard in Ep. 14 last week, Bobby's younger brother Michael was charged in 1997 for statutory rape when it was discovered that he had been carrying on a secret five-year affair with the family babysitter, who was an underage teenager at the time. When cousin Michael Skakel got involved -- in an attempt to help the teenage girl -- the powerful Kennedys vowed to destroy him. (And indeed, within a short time Skakel was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his former Greenwich neighbor, 15 year-old Martha Moxley, who had been killed more than two decades earlier.) Michael Skakel was convicted for Martha's murder in 2002 but only served 11 years of a life sentence because once again, Kennedy family power and money does a lot of talking in the so-called "justice' system. (As we discussed in Ep. 14 with the rape trial of Kennedy cousin William Kennedy Smith.) We will dive into how #RFKJr and the Kennedys covered up the truth about Martha Moxley's murder; circling their wagons of high-priced lawyers, media operatives, and publicists to influence the court of public opinion, successfully getting Skakel's conviction overturned and securing his release from prison. RFK Jr. says his cousin is innocent of the crime, and did not kill Martha Moxley. If that is true, then, who did? In this episode, I'll present the evidence, and the suspects, and let you decide. YOU are the jury. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1&si=QsNpxw8coWS4bMe4

Our exploration President #Trump's new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s tumultuous life continues in Episode 14. In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will go back to the 1990s -- a decade in which the Kennedy family scandals and tragedies kept coming, one after another, after another. Two of Bobby's brothers -- Joe and Michael -- destroyed their marriages with infidelity. Then-Congressman Joseph Kennedy divorced his wife Sheila to marry his secretary/mistress Beth Kelly, and later used his influence within the Catholic church to have his first marriage annulled. (His first wife fought for years to have the annulment overturned, and eventually won.) Meanwhile, Bobby's youngest brother Michael had been carrying on a secret five-year affair with the family babysitter, who was an underage teenager at the time. When cousin Michael Skakel got involved -- in an attempt to help the teenage girl -- the powerful Kennedys vowed to destroy him. (And indeed, within a short time Skakel was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his former Greenwich neighbor, 15 year-old Martha Moxley, who had been killed more than two decades earlier.) The family feud grew more intense as #JFK's son #JFKJr chimed in, opining in a 1997 George Magazine editorial that his #RFK cousins were "poster boys for bad behavior." The story soon took another tragic turn on New Year's 1997, when Michael Kennedy died a violent death -- skiing headfirst into a tree on the slopes of Aspen in front of his entire family, who witnessed the horror. But the biggest Kennedy scandal of the decade was the rape trial of Bobby's cousin William Kennedy Smith in 1991. We will dive into how the Kennedys covered up the truth; circled their wagons of high-priced lawyers, media operatives, and publicists to influence both the jury pool and the court of public opinion to successfully render a verdict in Willie's favor (even though Bobby and his cousin, John F. Kennedy, Jr., both privately believed that Willie was guilty). Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1&si=QsNpxw8coWS4bMe4

On Thursday morning the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services was confirmed by the full Senate. Secretary Kennedy was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch at the White House with President #Trump and members of Mr. Kennedy's family in attendance. #Democrats vocally opposed #RFKJR's appointment in a 30 hour marathon debate on the Senate floor prior to Thursday's vote. Their arguments centered mainly on Kennedy's history of anti-vaccine activism, his fluctuating stance on abortion, his conflicts of interest and lack of proper qualifications. Yet, his serious character flaws and bizarre behavior that could be considered disqualifying factors at any other time in history were barely even mentioned. When #RFK declared his run for the presidency in April 2023, he said in his speech: "I've got so many skeletons in my closet that if they could all vote, I would be king of the world." In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will open Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s closet full of skeletons and take a peek inside. Episode 13 explores the sex addiction that destroyed Bobby and Emily's marriage, his secret quickie divorce and rushed marriage to Mary Richardson, who was already 6 months pregnant with his baby. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1&si=QsNpxw8coWS4bMe4

This week the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services is expected to be voted on by the full Senate. After #Kennedy was recommended by the Senate Finance Committee last week, Senate Majority leader John Thune filed a motion to invoke cloture and end debate on #RFKJR's confirmation so that the floor vote may proceed without any resistance or further delay from Democrats. Kennedy could be confirmed by the Senate as early as Wednesday. In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will discuss Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s journey from heroin addict to environmentalist. After his 1983 heroin bust and near-fatal overdose, a judge ordered Bobby to perform 1500 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year prison sentence. (Being a Kennedy has its advantages.) His service was at the Hudson River Fisherman's Association, which would later become known as #Riverkeeper. He quickly rose in the organization and essentially took it over, ruling the proverbial roost with an iron fist -- and, according to many of his colleagues, used Riverkeeper as his own personal piggy bank while ruthlessly flaunting fish and wildlife laws and launching lawsuits that were often based on questionable science. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1&si=QsNpxw8coWS4bMe4

This week the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services is expected to be voted on by the full Senate. After #Kennedy was recommended by the Senate Finance Committee last week, Senate Majority leader John Thune filed a motion to invoke cloture and end debate on #RFKJR's confirmation so that the floor vote may proceed without any resistance or further delay from Democrats. Kennedy could be confirmed by the Senate as early as Monday. In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will explore Kennedy’s 14 year addiction to heroin. His habit would lead to Bobby being busted for heroin possession in 1983 and the death of his brother David from a drug overdose a year later. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1&si=QsNpxw8coWS4bMe4

The Senate Finance Committee voted Tuesday along party lines, 14-13, to advance #RFKJr’s cabinet nomination to the full Senate. After 30 hours of debate, Senators will vote by simple majority on whether to confirm him as President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. That vote could happen late this week or early next week. In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will explore Kennedy’s first marriage — which was plagued by his drug use and serial philandering — to Emily Ruth Black, whom he married on April 3, 1982. Together, the couple had two children: Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy III (now married to RFK Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign manager Amaryllis Fox Kennedy) before their divorce in 1994. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1

#RFKJR faced confirmation hearings before two Senate committees this week -- the Finance Committee on Wednesday, January 29th, and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday, January 30th. Now that public testimony has concluded, Senators will soon vote on whether to confirm him as President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. During the televised hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s own family members voiced their concerns (and, at times, outrage) about Bobby’s alleged serious character defects that should be disqualifying for such an important cabinet-level position. #RFK Jr.’s cousin Caroline Kennedy, and JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg both came forward with some damning stories about Bobby’s past behavior, and even his second wife Mary Richardson Kennedy’s voice was finally heard from beyond the grave. (Mother Jones unearthed bombshell secret recordings and documents this week from the couple’s divorce proceedings that tell Mary’s side of the story, just two months before her 2012 suicide.) In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will explore Kennedy’s first marriage — which was plagued by his drug use and serial philandering — to Emily Ruth Black, whom he married on April 3, 1982. Together, the couple had two children: Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy III (now married to RFK Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign manager Amaryllis Fox Kennedy) before their divorce in 1994. Shortly before the wedding, however, tragedy struck again. Lem Billings, #JFK’s lifelong best friend who had been Bobby’s “second father,” the man who practically raised RFK Jr. after his father’s 1968 murder, died suddenly from a heart attack. However, Bobby’s mother Ethel always believed it was caused by a drug overdose, and blamed Bobby for leading Lem down the road to ruin. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. #Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1

Meet President-elect #Trump's controversial pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr. #RFKJR faced his first confirmation hearing before one of two Senate committees -- the Finance Committee -- on Wednesday, January 29th. He will appear before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday, January 30th. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy - daughter of #JFK and the cousin of Robert F Kennedy Jr - urged US senators to reject her cousin as America's next health and human services secretary in a scathing letter released on Tuesday. The message, shared through social media, was sent to senators ahead of RFK Jr's confirmation hearing. "I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together," she wrote. "It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator." In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will hear Caroline's full letter to the Senate, and dissect exactly what she meant when she called RFK Jr. a "predator." While Caroline Kennedy's letter to the Senate revealed some of RFK's predation towards animals (she described a horrific memory of watching Bobby put live baby chicks and mice in a blender), she refrained from speaking about Bobby Jr.'s predatory treatment of the women in his life -- a subject she knows too much about from personal experience. Episode 8 takes us back to the late 1970s, and describes an important chapter in the relationship between Caroline Kennedy and young Bobby Jr. It was Caroline who introduced Bobby to British beauty Rebecca Fraser (her close friend), the daughter of JFK's old pal Hugh Fraser. Caroline and Fraser were both nearly killed during this time when a car bomb exploded his Jaguar. In this episode, you'll hear how Bobby juggled multiple girlfriends behind their backs, while "fucking everything that moved" behind the scenes of his uncle Sen. Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign, before dumping his steady gal pal -- Caroline's friend Rebecca Fraser -- for the new object of his desires: a young UVA student named Emily Black, whom he would eventually marry. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. As Kennedy's Senate confirmation hearings continue Thursday, get a sneak preview of some tough questions Kennedy is likely to be asked about his past, and will have to answer in the televised hearings. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1

Meet President-elect #Trump's controversial pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr. #RFKJR faced his first confirmation hearing before one of two Senate committees -- the Finance Committee -- on Wednesday, January 29th. He will appear before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday, January 30th. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy - daughter of #JFK and the cousin of Robert F Kennedy Jr - urged US senators to reject her cousin as America's next health and human services secretary in a scathing letter released on Tuesday. The message, shared through social media, was sent to senators ahead of RFK Jr's confirmation hearing. "I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together," she wrote. "It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator." In the latest episode of this History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." we will hear Caroline's full letter to the Senate, and dissect exactly what she meant when she called RFK Jr. a "predator." While Caroline Kennedy's letter to the Senate revealed some of RFK's predation towards animals (she described a horrific memory of watching Bobby put live baby chicks and mice in a blender), she refrained from speaking about Bobby Jr.'s predatory treatment of the women in his life -- a subject she knows too much about from personal experience. Episode 8 takes us back to the late 1970s, and describes an important chapter in the relationship between Caroline Kennedy and young Bobby Jr. It was Caroline who introduced Bobby to British beauty Rebecca Fraser (her close friend), the daughter of JFK's old pal Hugh Fraser. Caroline and Fraser were both nearly killed during this time when a car bomb exploded his Jaguar. In this episode, you'll hear how Bobby juggled multiple girlfriends behind their backs, while "fucking everything that moved" behind the scenes of his uncle Sen. Ted Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign, before dumping his steady gal pal -- Caroline's friend Rebecca Fraser -- for the new object of his desires: a young UVA student named Emily Black, whom he would eventually marry. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. As Kennedy's Senate confirmation hearings continue Thursday, get a sneak preview of some tough questions Kennedy is likely to be asked about his past, and will have to answer in the televised hearings. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1

Meet President-elect #Trump's controversial pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. #Kennedy, Jr. #RFKJR is facing his first confirmation hearing before one of two Senate committees -- the Finance Committee -- this Wednesday, January 29th. He will appear before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday, January 30th. My latest episode of the History Book Club series, "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." begins as Bobby Jr. reaches adulthood and enters Harvard University in 1972. In previous episodes, we learned that Ethel and Robert Kennedy’s large brood were raised by nannies and babysitters while their busy political parents were absent. The situation became worse after #RFK’s assassination, when his widowed wife — unable to cope with the demands of mothering 11 unruly children — grew increasingly unstable, angry, and abusive towards them, especially Bobby Jr., whom she disowned and kicked out of the house at age 14. After Ethel washed her hands of Bobby, his care and feeding was taken care of by a number of people, called by insiders the “Bobbysitters.” From JFK’s old pal Lem Billings to the Brode family who took him in, to Peter Lawford when Bobby Jr. ran away to California on a drug-fueled road trip, the “Bobbysitters” were always there to protect Bobby from himself (or at least they tried). Grown adult men shouldn’t need babysitters, but Bobby Kennedy Jr. has never been able to function without his handlers. As you will hear in this series, RFK Jr. continues to surround himself with his “Bobbysitters” — a stable of devoted sycophantic gatekeepers — to the present day. Over the weeks ahead, we will be reading and discussing excerpted chapters from "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream," an unauthorized #biography of RFK Jr. written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The author also penned a scathing biography of RFK's late mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away in October 2024 at age 96. As Kennedy's Senate confirmation hearings begin, get a sneak preview of some tough questions Kennedy is likely to be asked about his past, and will have to answer in the televised hearings. Join me for "The Dark Side of RFK Jr." -- a continuing book club series -- and let me hear your thoughts on the book in the comments. I'll try to answer all viewer questions in future episodes. Listen to all episodes in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpvFmjPRuxkPr8tn0L1Ck4O1