Encyclopedia · Biography
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Environmental lawyer, political candidate and U.S. health secretary
Personal details
- Full name
- Robert Francis Kennedy Jr.
- Born
- January 17, 1954
- Education
- Harvard University; University of Virginia School of Law; Pace University School of Law
- Spouse
- Cheryl Hines (married 2014)
- Family
- Son of Robert F. Kennedy; nephew of President John F. Kennedy
- Office
- Secretary of Health and Human Services (since February 2025)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is an American environmental lawyer, author and public official. A member of the Kennedy political family, he worked in environmental advocacy before campaigning for president in 2024 and becoming secretary of Health and Human Services in February 2025.
Family, education and environmental law
Kennedy was born into the Kennedy political family. He studied at Harvard, attended the London School of Economics, received a law degree from the University of Virginia and pursued graduate environmental-law studies at Pace. He began work with Riverkeeper in the 1980s and helped establish Waterkeeper Alliance, serving as its longtime president.
Children’s Health Defense and media advocacy
Kennedy co-founded Children’s Health Defense and has been a leading figure in public debate over vaccine policy and other health questions. The organization’s assertions must be distinguished from established medical evidence and scientific consensus; association with the nonprofit does not on its own resolve the truth of any individual claim.
2024 campaign and HHS leadership
Kennedy began the 2024 presidential contest as a Democrat, continued as an independent, suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump in August 2024. Trump nominated him to lead HHS, and the Senate confirmed him on February 13, 2025. His public policy decisions should be evaluated against original HHS orders, statutes, advisory-committee records and oversight documents.
References
Research compiled November 13, 2026. Open questions belong in a separate research note, not in the public text.
Where this subject appears in The Story
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Documented connections
These are specifically described relationships in public records. A shared institution, appointment or event does not by itself demonstrate coordination or wrongdoing.
- Donald Trump (person) — political endorsement and appointment: Kennedy endorsed Trump in August 2024 and joined his Cabinet in 2025 · 2024–2025