American Values 2024—the super PAC behind independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—released a 30-second advertisement during Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday in a bid to stand out among all the advertisements shown during the game, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs win becoming a love fest for tight end Travis Kelce and pop star singer Taylor Swift.
Learn more: https://t.co/4YjLwreZN9 pic.twitter.com/JLEPW7H901
— American Values 🗽 (@AV24org) February 12, 2024
During one of the commercial breaks, a shortened version of the 1960 political campaign ad of slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy was shown, but his face was replaced by that of his nephew. It also came with an old-style voiceover indicating that the ad was paid for by the younger Kennedy's super PAC American Values 2024.
RFK Jr. has since left the Democratic Party to become an independent candidate for the race to the White House. Sunday's Super Bowl was won by the Chiefs 25-22 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Crucial Timing
Politico reported that the ad came at a time when many Democrats have grown concerned that Kennedy's presidential run could pose a threat to sitting U.S. President Joe Biden's own campaign in critical battleground states.
It was also noticeable that both Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump have not produced their own Super Bowl political ads. Kennedy's supporters argued that the name recall and the fact that both Trump and Biden were facing personal issues were their advantages in finding support among both Democrats and Republicans, especially in controversial topics such as COVID-19 vaccines.
"The panicked DC power brokers are working overtime to keep Kennedy off the ballot because they know he can and will end their culture of greed and corruption," American Values 2024 co-founder Tony Lyons told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"They offer us soaring inflation, forever wars, and chronic disease. RFK Jr. offers us real change along with freedom, trust, and hope. Like his uncle and his father, Kennedy is a corruption fighter, and it's no wonder the DNC is trying every old trick and inventing new tricks to stop him. The public sees through it all and won't stand for it."
The most significant difference between the JFK and RFK Jr. political ads was their costs. Adjusted for inflation, JFK's campaign ad only cost roughly $675,000, while the RFK Jr.'s ad cost his super PAC $7 million, similar to the price of the other ads that ran during the Super Bowl.
Read Also: RFK Jr. Drops Democrat Bid, Runs for President as Independent
RFK Jr. Disowned by Own Family
In response to the surprise campaign ad, members of the Kennedy family expressed their disappointment to RFK Jr. via X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
"My cousin's Super Bowl ad used our uncle's faces - and my Mother's," Kennedy scion and activist Bobby Shriver said, referring to his mother and JFK's sister Eunice. "She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA."
Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Superpac without any involvement or approvals from my campaign. Federal rules prohibit Superpacs from consulting with me or my staff. I send you and your family my…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
Kennedy responded apologetically, saying that the ad was "created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval" from his campaign.
"[Federal Elections Commission] rules prohibit [super PACs] from consulting with me or my staff," he explained. "I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you."
Nevertheless, the ad remains pinned to his X profile as of writing.
