Long-shot presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy vowed not to “take sides” on 9/11, promising transparency to his voters as he amplifies conspiracies.
The independent candidate, poising himself as a more moderate option between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, validated doubters of the nature of the deadly terrorist attacks, in a rant on X.
“As president, I won't take sides on 9/11,” the candidate wrote, adding that he would release classified documents related to the infamous terrorist attacks perpetrated by Al Qaeda.
My take on 9/11: It's hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn't. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I won't take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates. But I can promise is that I will open the files…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 5, 2024
For more than two decades, doubts have circulated amongst conspiracy theorists about the attack, including allegations that the U.S. government played a part in the deaths of the nearly 3,000 victims.
“It's hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t,” Kennedy told voters in the call for transparency. “But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public.”
Kennedy — who has pushed dangerous conspiracy theories on vaccines, the media, and other topics — hasn’t been too vocal on the attacks before.
As he lags in the polls, and in support amongst members of his own family, the former environmental lawyer doubled down on appeals to conspiracists.
The comments come as part of a string of gaffes and serious allegations that have hampered the candidate’s performance against two unpopular opponents.
After a recent profile in Vanity Fair brought some unflattering revelations to light, including claims that he sexually assaulted a babysitter, ate a dog, and shared potentially nonconsensual pornography, Kennedy denied some allegations but stopped short of disputing the sexual assault.
