An entire day of responses to RFK Jr.’s terrible speech included this very personal one from his sister.
Early on Tuesday, RFK Jr. released a statement on Twitter saying, “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. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry.”
About 20 minutes later, RFK Jr.’s wife, actor Cheryl Hines—who has a recent history of throwing house parties that expect visitors to have proof of vaccination and other sensible COVID-19 public health precautions—tweeted out: “My husband’s reference to Anne Frank at a mandate rally in D.C. was reprehensible and insensitive. The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything. His opinions are not a reflection of my own.”
As Media Matters reporter Eric Hananoki pointed out, this isn’t the first time RFK Jr. has had to apologize for mixing and matching the extermination of millions and millions of European Jews with public health programs in the United States. Back in 2015, Junior said that the U.S. vaccine program had created a “holocaust” in deleterious health effects. He had to ask for forgiveness for that at the time, saying, “I want to apologize to all whom I offended by my use of the word ‘holocaust’ to describe the autism epidemic. I employed the term during an impromptu speech as I struggled to find an expression to convey the catastrophic tragedy of autism, which has now destroyed the lives of over 20 million children and shattered their families. I am acutely aware of the profound power attached to that word, and I will find other terms to describe the autism crisis in the future.”
There is zero connection between autism and early childhood vaccines. This has been proven time and time again, even by studies funded by anti-vaxxers.
The responses to Hines and RFK Jr.’s apologies came fast and furious.
And because of Cheryl Hines’ connection to Larry David’s show Curb Your Enthusiasm, a reminder on how to take a strong position against fascism and anti-science.
