RFK Jr.: Wife's reaction to Trump endorsement 'opposite of encouraging'
Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his wife’s reaction to his recent endorsement of former President Trump in the White House race was the “opposite of encouraging.”
Kennedy stated during his Tuesday appearance on TMZ Live that his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, is not a Trump supporter and that throwing his support behind the former president brought her some “discomfort.”
“She is a lifelong Democrat and the idea of me supporting Donald Trump was, like I said, it was something she would have never imagined, something that she never wanted in her life,” he said Tuesday.
“I think it causes her a lot of discomfort and I’m very grateful to her for giving me support, but she was not somebody who was clamoring for this move. I would say the opposite is true,” he added.
The environmental lawyer, who suspended his presidential bid last week, said Trump reached out to him shortly after the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Hines encouraged Kennedy to have a conversation with the GOP nominee. The actress, known for her role in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was present in that meeting so no “hasty decisions” would take place, according to Kennedy.
Following Kennedy's public announcement that he would be backing the former president, actor Bradley Whitford criticized Hines for staying “silent."
“Hey @CherylHines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights,” he wrote Saturday on the social media platform X. “Gutsy. Great example for the kids. Profile in courage.”
When asked Tuesday about his reaction to Whitford’s post, Kennedy said he had to “suppress some strong feelings,” but then questioned why instead of “challenging” him directly on the idea, the actor resorted to “bullying women.”
“It’s a template for bullying,” Kennedy said. “Here you have a guy and instead of challenging me, he’s attacking my wife,” he said. “Who would do that? What kind of person, what kind of man would do that?”