Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Shutterstock, YouTube/Screengrab) (Shutterstock, YouTube/Screengrab)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Twitterverse doesn’t buy Robert F. Kennedy mea culpa as even wife distances herself.

By Pesach Benson, United With Israel

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized on Tuesday for comparing vaccine mandates to the Nazi persecution of Jews.

“I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors. My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control,” Kennedy tweeted on Tuesday. “To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry.”

Kennedy, the son of murdered presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former president John Kennedy, sparked an uproar while addressing an anti-vaccine rally in Washington on Sunday.

“Even in Hitler’s Germany you could cross the Alps into Switzerland, you could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did,” Kennedy told a crowd of 20,000-30,000. “Today the mechanisms are being put in place to make it so that none of us can run and none of us can hide.”

But the Twitterverse didn’t widely accept Kennedy’s mea culpa. Many noted out that this isn’t the first time that Kennedy, a professor emeritus of law at Pace University, equated vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. Others questioned how the apology’s qualifiers and appearance of blaming the victim could be sincere.

“This is the 2nd time in 7 years (that we know of) that you’ve done the exact same thing and apologized for it,” tweeted someone going by the handle @WrinklesBulldog. “How many more times in the future can we expect you to say it again and have to apologize?”

Twitter handle @OutspokenTM replied, “You’re not sorry. Your words got the air you wanted them too. Your apology means nothing by the example of ‘similarities’ you’re still making.”

Another person going by the Twitter handle, @_pem_pem fired back, “this is such a funny apology. ‘i apologize for comparing vaccines to the holocaust. my intent was to compare vaccines to the holocaust.'”

Jeff Tiedrich tweeted, “fun historical fact: when my uncle spent three years in a Warsaw basement, hiding from the Nazis, it wasn’t because they wanted to vaccinate him.”

And Duane Beckett replied “I see you’re going with the classic passive aggressive ‘I’m sorry you got offended’ gaslighting apology technique.”

In 2015, Kennedy apologized for likening the effects of mandatory vaccines to the Holocaust.

Last year, Instagram shut down his account, with a spokesman from parent company Facebook explaining that Kennedy was “repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.”

Kennedy continues pushing his views on Twitter, where he has almost 399,000 followers.

Even Kennedy’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines best known for her role in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” distanced herself from the furor. Before the apology, in response to one critic who wanted to know if Hines stood by her husband, Hines replied, “My husband’s opinions are not a reflection of my own. While we love each other, we differ on many current issues.”

Asked if she agreed with the statement, “No one should compare anything to the horrors of the Holocaust. My husband was wrong to do so,” Hines tweeted back “Yes, I agree with you.”

Kennedy’s anti-vaccine address also drew ridicule for promoting other conspiracy theories about expanding 5G technology.

“Within five years, we’re gonna see 415,000 low orbit satellites – Bill Gates said his 65,000 satellites alone will be able to locate every square inch of the planet 24 hours a day,” Kennedy said. “They’re putting in 5G to harvest our data and control our behavior. Digital currency that will allow them to punish us from a distance and cut off our food supply.”

Bring Joy to Israeli Soldiers - Send Winter Care Packages!

We are honored to thank the young men and women of the IDF who risk their lives every day to defend the citizens of Israel.

Join us in sending winter care packages and personal notes of support to Israeli soldiers who are out in the cold all day.

Warm up a soldier's heart with essential winter wear including fleece jackets, hats, gloves and more. Keep an entire unit warm!

THE SOLDIERS REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LOVE AND CONCERN!

Click Here to Send Your Gift and Personal Note to Israeli Soldiers

Send Passover Packages to Needy Israeli Soldiers - Bring Them Joy!

We are honored to thank the young men and women of the IDF who risk their lives every day to protect the citizens of Israel. Since October 7th, soldiers have been on the battlefield for months - many are hoping to come home for Passover.

Join us in sending Passover food packages (and personal notes) to Israeli soldiers and their families.

Many soldiers spend the Passover holiday with needy families back home. The soldiers greatly appreciate your love and concern. Bring them Passover joy!

CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR PACKAGE AND NOTE TO ISRAELI SOLDIERS!