Robert F Kennedy Jr has apologised to his own family for a Super Bowl advert which was inspired by his late uncle, former US president John F Kennedy.
The advert is almost an exact replica of one broadcast by his uncle JFK back in 1960. The 70-year-old said it was created without his "involvement or approval".
It repeats the name Kennedy 15 times in 30 seconds, and has RFK's image over his uncle.
The ad itself aired just before the Super Bowl half-time on Sunday.
“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Mr Kennedy wrote in a social media post late on Sunday.
He claimed the ad was financed and created by American Values 2024, a pro-Kennedy political action committee (Pac).
In the United States, a political action committee (Pac) is a tax-exempt organisation that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates.
The advert, which cost around $7 million, is still pinned to the top of Mr Kennedy's social media profiles, which critics have claimed makes the apology redundant.
Our momentum is growing. It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country. 🇺🇸#Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/6rwXW3AwAp
Advertisement— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
Mr Kennedy was formerly running for US president as a Democrat, like his famous uncle and father Robert F Kennedy, but has since confirmed he will run as an independent.
Various members of the Kennedy family have distanced themselves from his campaign. Earlier in his career, Mr Kennedy was widely respected as an environmental lawyer. However, his anti-vaccine campaigning has alienated him from family members and the Democratic Party.
A third-party candidate has never really broken through in a US presidential election. However, they are often disruptors.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found Mr Kennedy could draw as many as one in seven US voters, with widespread unhappiness at the inevitable prospect of a Joe Biden v Donald Trump rematch.
It could spell bad news for the incumbent, as research found Mr Kennedy is likely to take more votes from Mr Biden than Mr Trump.
