RFK Jr. drops surprise campaign ad during Super Bowl: ‘Vote Independent’

A super PAC aligned with independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. dropped a surprise commercial during the Super Bowl on Sunday, eliciting mixed reactions from viewers. 

American Values 2024 ran the 30-second ad for $7 million. The clip is a throwback to an ad used by his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, in the 1960 presidential campaign. 

The ad, replacing JFK’s face with that of RFK Jr., implores viewers to “Vote Independent.” 

“The panicked DC power brokers are working overtime to keep Kennedy off the ballot because they know he can and will end their culture of greed and corruption,” American Values 2024 co-founder Tony Lyons said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.  

“They offer us soaring inflation, forever wars, and chronic disease. RFK Jr. offers us real change along with freedom, trust and hope. Like his uncle and his father, Kennedy is a corruption fighter, and it’s no wonder the DNC is trying every old trick and inventing new tricks to stop him.  The public sees through it all and won’t stand for it.” 

Google Trends showed searches for RFK Jr. skyrocketing after the ad aired. 

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The ad elicited mixed reactions. One X user implored “Robert” not to “give us this during the halftime.” To which someone responded: “This commercial is better than the halftime performance.” 

Another X user wrote they were “struggling to process how this makes me feel in awe of who we used to be as a country and as a people, while also feeling sick at who we have become and how far we’ve strayed.” 

Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally at Legends Event Center on December 20, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

The ad comes after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday accused RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign of illegally coordinating with American Values 2024. 

The DNC filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), alleging that Kennedy’s campaign received $15 million worth of unlawful in-kind contributions from the super PAC to help him secure ballot access as an independent candidate in several states.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is flouting campaign finance law by outsourcing a critical campaign function —  the collection of signatures required to appear on the ballot – to an outside Super PAC that is funded by Donald Trump’s top donor this cycle. This scheme between American Values 2024 and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign requires significant — and plainly illegal — coordination, to the tune of a $15 million in-kind contribution” DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement. 

A Kennedy campaign spokesperson told Fox the allegations were a “nonissue being raised by a partisan political entity that seems to be increasingly concerned with its own candidate and viability.” 

Kennedy initially sought to challenge President Biden in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary, but the DNC said it would not hold primary debates and stood behind the incumbent president.

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He declared himself as an independent candidate in October and has seen support in polls from a sizable number of Democrats — and even some Republicans.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.