Anti-vaxxer, conspiracy theorist and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made more controversial statements. This time during an appearance on Newsmax where he asserted the Chinese government is developing race-based biological weapons.
Kennedy Jr. provided no evidence to support his claim, which has been met with skepticism from experts and officials.
During the interview with host Greta Van Susteren, Kennedy Jr. alleged both China and the United States were engaged in an arms race involving the development of ethnic bio-weapons targeting specific racial groups. He mentioned the collection of Chinese and Russian DNA by the United States for these purposes, without providing any substantiation.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Kennedy Jr. said:
“We know that the Chinese are developing ethnic bio-weapons. Bio-weapons that are designed to attack people of certain racial types. And we’re doing the same thing."
"We’ve been collecting Chinese DNA. We’ve been collecting Russian DNA specifically for that. [This] arms race is a catastrophe."
Kennedy Jr.'s claim appears to be rooted in a statement made by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who suggested in May the Pentagon had formulated research and development plans for genetically engineered weapons.
Wang's comments were made in response to concerns raised by Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding reports of mass DNA collection in Tibet by the Chinese government as a means of surveillance and control.
Wang also referenced a tender issued by the U.S. Air Education and Training Command (AETC), as reported by Russian state-controlled outlet RT, seeking samples of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and synovial fluid from Russians. However, it is important to note Kennedy Jr.'s claims go far beyond the available evidence and lack substantial support.
Many mocked Kennedy Jr. and Newsmax in response.
The Pentagon swiftly refuted Kennedy's assertions and stated unequivocally the Defense Department is not involved in the development of bioweapons. In response to Wang's comments, a senior Pentagon official clarified the department strongly rejects the claim.
Kennedy's history of conspiracy theories—most notably his disproven assertions linking vaccinations to autism—raises questions about the validity of any of his claims. Throughout his career, he has often misrepresented scientific research to support his controversial personal views.
