Robert Kennedy, Jr. went from being the most visible face of the next generation of an American political dynasty to the godfather of medical misinformation. His 2005 article alleging a link between autism and vaccines was a mere opening act to his full-fledged embrace of anti-vaccine rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic. For every Joe Rogan flare-up around the safety and medical necessity of vaccines, there is usually a throughline to Kennedy. Meanwhile, a Super PAC ad that ran during the Super Bowl, pushing Kennedy’s long-shot independent presidential run, generated more conversation than any pharma spot that night. While others on this list have worked to make healthcare better, the same cannot be said for Kennedy — and as he continues his presidential bid, his influence on the public health discourse is likely to linger.
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