The vicious attacks on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by his family members have ranged from polemical to outright despicable.
Caroline Kennedy's criticism of RFK Jr. focused on personal attacks, yet she did not cite any speeches from her father, John F. Kennedy, or her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, to substantiate her claim that they would be disgusted by his policies.
Caroline Kennedy's son, Jack Schlossberg, took things further by mocking RFK Jr.'s voice. RFK Jr. has spasmodic dysphonia.
Schlossberg's behavior is inconsistent with the Kennedy family's legacy of compassion for people with disabilities; for example, Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics.
Unlike Caroline Kennedy, I will cite speeches from John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy because I believe that many of RFK Jr.'s ideas are rooted in the "New Frontier" vision.
In his acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention, Sen. John F. Kennedy introduced the concept of the "New Frontier," stating: "Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."
Today, RFK Jr.'s equivalent of a "moon shot" is the pursuit of a deeper understanding of mitochondria and their role in chronic disease.
In 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald Trump for president, emphasizing that the chronic disease epidemic was the biggest reason for his endorsement.
In the same speech, Kennedy praised his advisers Calley Means and his sister Dr. Casey Means. On her Instagram page, Dr. Means wrote, "Mitochondrial health is the key to our overall health."
Mitochondria have been described as the "powerhouses" of our cells. When these organelles malfunction, the consequences are profound.
Research increasingly links mitochondrial dysfunction to chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's.
Dr. Casey Means and Calley Means wrote in their book "Good Energy," "The solution to this crisis is very simple — promote unprocessed whole foods and discourage ultra-processed industrial foods."
Promoting healthier diets is challenging due to the power of the food industry, particularly the sugar lobby. According to the Heritage Foundation: "Sugar represents less than 2 percent of the value of all U.S. crop production, but in 2012 sugar lobbyists accounted for more than one-third of all crop-industry lobbying expenditures."
In the 2024 election cycle alone, the food and beverage industry spent $36.8 million on political campaigns. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of the few political figures willing to confront these interests.
NASA studies have shown that mitochondrial changes contribute to health problems during space travel. Prolonged exposure to microgravity and radiation compromises mitochondrial function, leading to immune dysfunction, muscle atrophy, and other issues.
As private space companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic compete for dominance, mitochondrial health could become a key factor in long-term human spaceflight. The ability to enhance mitochondrial resilience could help America win the space race in the 21st century.
Beyond space travel, mitochondrial transplantation is already being explored for its potential to treat serious health conditions. In October 2023, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the James Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Florida, entered into a cooperative research agreement to develop a treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) using mitochondria organelle transplantation therapy.
Recognizing the promise of this research, in August, 26 members of Congress sent a letter to Dr. Lester Martínez-López, then-assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, urging funding and support for mitochondrial transplantation.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025, the House Armed Services Committee directed the secretary of defense to brief Congress by March 1 on efforts to support Walter Reed's TBI research in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Health and Human Services.
In November, the United States granted the first patent for mitochondria organelle transplantation. Last week, Japan followed suit.
NASA should partner with Walter Reed and the VA to build on their pioneering mitochondrial transplantation research rather than starting from scratch.
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy often said, "Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."
Robert F. Kennedy paraphrased the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, who originally wrote a similar line in his 1921 play "Back to Methuselah." The quote embodies the spirit of the "New Frontier" and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement.
In a speech before the Irish parliament, President Kennedy endorsed George Bernard Shaw's quote:
"It is that quality of the Irish — that remarkable combination of hope, confidence, and imagination — that is needed more than ever today. The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics, whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities."
Robert Zapesochny is a researcher and writer whose work focuses on foreign affairs, national security and presidential history. He has been published in numerous outlets, including The American Spectator, the Washington Times, and The American Conservative. When he's not writing, Robert works for a medical research company in New York. Read Robert Zapesochny's Reports — More Here.
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