RFK Jr.'s New Campaign: 'I Will Not Take Sides on 9/11'

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken a bold stance on 9/11 conspiracy theories: he won't actually pick a side.

After a roller-coaster week during which Kennedy faced allegations of sexual assault and abuse ate a dogwhile publicly declaring that he would never do so they indulge in cannibalismthe candidate decided his next move was to add a hot 9/11 to the fire.

“My take on 9/11: It's hard to tell what's a conspiracy theory and what's not,” Kennedy wrote Friday on X, formerly Twitter. “But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President, I will not take a position on 9/11 or any of the other debates. But I can promise to open the files and start a new era of transparency.”

Kennedy wrote that not only would he not take a position on 9/11, but he would also refrain from expressing an opinion on “any of the other debates.”

In a subsequent post, Kennedy sought to clarify that he was “referring here to the CBS 60 Minutes segment last Sunday that revealed possible Saudi involvement in 9/11, sparking all kinds of speculation at X.”

Last month, ABC News 60 minutes received newly unsealed material shows Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national with ties to the 9/11 hijackers, scouting the exterior of the US Capitol and other prominent landmarks in Washington, DC, in 2009. “I think he's talking to al-Qaeda planners who assigned to take pre-operational surveillance video of the intended target,” said retired FBI agent Richard Lamber 60 minutes.

The Commission's September 11, 2004 Report found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded al-Qaeda.” In the nearly 24 years since the attack, the victims' families have called for further investigations into alleged links between the Saudi government and the planning of the attack. While questions remain about individual Saudi nationals, such as al-Bayoumi's relationship to two of the 9/11 hijackers, there is little evidence to support broader conspiracies that claim the United States government covered up Saudi government involvement in orchestrating the attack.

The lingering questions surrounding the planning of the attack are just the surface of the 9/11 conspiracies that Kennedy fostered and embraced. In September of last year, Kennedy teased his belief in conspiracy claims that Building 7 of the World Trade Center collapsed not because two massive skyscrapers fell on it, but for some other inexplicable reason.

“I don't know what happened on 9/11. I mean, I understand what the official explanation is. I understand there is disagreement. I haven't looked it up. I haven't looked into it. I'm not a good person to talk about it,” Kennedy told Peter Bergen In the room with Peter Bergen. “I know strange things have happened.”

When asked what “strange things” he was referring to, Kennedy replied that “one of the buildings came down that wasn't hit by a plane. So, you know, was it Building 7 or Building 10?'

Bergen tried to clarify that the building collapsed due to structural damage caused by debris falling on it from the two towers. Kennedy pressed: “There are pictures of him collapsing. Nothing collapses on top. I mean, listen, I don't want to espouse any theories about this because all I've heard are questions. I have no explanation. I have no knowledge of it. But what you are repeating now, I know is not true.”

If you don't know, maybe don't say anything — especially if you're trying to be president. That's a lot to ask of Kennedy, whose career and aspirations for elected office have been defined by his conspiratorial tendencies. Kennedy has long been known for his belief that vaccines cause autism. During his campaign, he claimed that Covid-19 was “targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people” and to avoid infecting “Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese”. He falsely suggested in June last year that vaccine research was responsible for creating diseases such as HIV, Spanish flu and Lyme disease.

While Kennedy may post that as president he won't “take part” in any debate, and will simply “inaugurate a new era of openness,” it's already clear where he stands on most issues.