Robert F. Kennedy Jr., born January 17, 1954, in Washington, D.C., is an American environmental lawyer, author, and politician from the prominent Kennedy family. He is the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Early in his career, Kennedy worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. After a personal struggle with heroin addiction in the early 1980s, he turned to environmental advocacy, volunteering with and later becoming a senior attorney for Riverkeeper, focusing on protecting waterways from pollution. In 1999, he founded the nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance, dedicated to clean water worldwide. Kennedy earned a reputation as a successful environmental lawyer, winning major lawsuits against corporations such as DuPont and Monsanto[1][2][3]. Kennedy became a controversial figure due to his leadership of Children’s Health Defense, an organization promoting vaccine skepticism and misinformation, including debunked claims linking vaccines to autism. His stance on vaccines and other scientific issues has drawn significant criticism from health experts and the public[1][2]. Politically, Kennedy initially sought the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination but switched to an independent run before withdrawing and endorsing Republican Donald Trump. Subsequently, Trump nominated him as Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position he assumed after a narrow Senate confirmation in February 2025. His appointment was contentious, given his anti-vaccine views and the department’s oversight of public health agencies like the CDC and FDA[1][2][3]. Throughout his life, Kennedy has also been active in environmental and Indigenous rights protests, including arrests related to opposition to naval bombing in Puerto Rico and pipeline constructions[2][3]. His career reflects a complex mix of environmental activism, legal advocacy, political ambition, and controversial public health positions.