Chris Pratt spoke highly of Robert Kennedy Jr. during an appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. The actor reflected on numerous topics during the lengthy interview, including his his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, and her famous family, including Kennedy Jr., who is the cousin of her mother Maria Shriver.
Pratt told Maher he has “spent a number of occasions hanging with him, just in a strictly family dinner kind of vibe.” He continued, “I really got along with him well. I think he’s great. I think he’s funny. I like him. I love him.”
The actor added that “politics is a nasty business.” “I’m not in politics, obviously, but there’s a certain level to this in Hollywood, because Hollywood in itself is a political institution,” Pratt said. “I’ve seen how the person you are can be such a contrast to the person that people are being told that you are, and you can go, ‘Wow, that is pure fiction.’ So hundreds of thousands or millions of people are being fed that. And I’m not there to defend myself, nor am I going to jump in an be mired in this story.”
He added, “So my little bit of experience, I’ve been able to see how the person that you are can be sometimes in stark contrast to the person that your enemy is saying that you are. And in politics, you inherit enemies. And when you jump on the bandwagon with who is the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you’re going to be made to look terrible. And so I don’t know what to believe.”
Pratt explained that he doesn’t speak to Kennedy Jr. about his role in Donald Trump‘s administration or his political views during family gatherings. “I’m not gonna pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true,” Pratt said. “I just kind of assume that none of them are, and, for the most part, I wish him well. There’s certain things that he oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way — like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food.”
He continued, “I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing. I’d hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I’d be having an allergic reaction to. To be like, ‘Oh, well, if they do it, I don’t want it to happen. I’ll put Clorox in my children’s cereal myself!’ Be reasonable here. There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”
Since becoming Health and Human Services Secretary, Kennedy Jr. has made problematic cuts to his department, taken an anti-vaccine stance, and voiced “dehumanizing” comments about autistic people. Earlier this month, he cut $500 million in funding for vaccines, which former Surgeon General Jerome Adams said “is going to cost lives.”
Other members of his family have spoken out against his policies. In January, before Kennedy Jr. was confirmed for the cabinet position, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy, denounced him for promoting conspiracy theories and for working with Trump. She submitted a letter to the Senate saying, “Bobby himself is a predator,” and noting that he is “unqualified” for the role.
“He lacks any relevant government financial management or medical experience. His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed,” she wrote. “These facts alone should be disqualifying, but he has personal qualities related to this job, which for me pose even greater concern.”
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