EXCLUSIVE — Former Vice President Mike Pence‘s policy group is ratcheting up its efforts to derail the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with a wave of commercials aired ahead of a crucial Senate committee vote.
Advancing American Freedom is launching a six-figure ad buy on Fox News starting Tuesday morning attacking Kennedy, nominated for health and human services secretary, as a “Democrat plant” using President Donald Trump’s words from the campaign trail. The commercial will run through the week.
“RFK Jr. is a Democrat plant,” Trump says in the 30-second ad, first reported by the Washington Examiner. The footage is from a Truth Social post Trump made last year before Kennedy ended his third-party presidential bid and ultimately endorsed him.
The ad’s placement on the popular network for conservatives comes as the Senate Finance Committee prepares to vote Tuesday morning on whether to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the full chamber. His fate is in limbo as he struggles to capture the required Republican support.
AAF, which promotes Reagan-era conservativism, opposes Kennedy’s confirmation due to his past support for abortion rights and vaccine skepticism.
“A lot of people think Jr. is a conservative. He’s not. He’s an extreme liberal,” the ad goes on to show Trump saying. “He’s radical left. So, don’t think you’re going to vote for him and feel good. He’s a radical left Democrat.”
The ad closes with the on-screen message: “President Trump was right the first time. Vote NO on RFK Jr.”
Katie Miller, Kennedy’s spokeswoman and a former Pence communications director, did not respond to a request for comment.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a Finance Committee member and swing vote over Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism, told reporters Monday evening he remained undecided. He described additional conversations held with Kennedy over the weekend following last week’s contentious confirmation hearings as “cordial.”
Despite his past views on abortion, certain anti-abortion groups have cautiously embraced Kennedy over his pledge not to inject his personal views into how he runs HHS.
In his hearings, Kennedy condemned “every abortion” as “a tragedy,” said the United States “cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year,” and agreed with Trump that “the states should control abortion.”
“I serve at the pleasure of the president,” Kennedy said. “I’m going to implement his policies.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America stopped short of endorsing Kennedy but will not count it against any Republican who may oppose him and was “encouraged” by Kennedy’s answers on abortion.
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To the contrary, AAF said the hearings “raised more questions about RFK Jr.’s ability to lead HHS.” Pence, whose relationship with Trump soured over his refusal to help overturn the 2020 election results, is a vocal opponent of abortion.
“The American people deserve an HHS secretary with a firm commitment to protecting life, who doesn’t fall for or promote health-related misinformation,” the Pence-aligned group said in a previous statement.
