Leaked Audio Reveals RFK Jr. Once Compared Trump to Hitler: "He Will Get In There..."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has found himself tangled with yet another controversy after leaked audio revealed him critiquing Donald Trump and his supporters, calling them 'belligerent idiots' and 'outright Nazis.' The recording, obtained by CNN senior reporter Andrew Kaczynski, comes as Kennedy assumes his role as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in Trump’s incoming administration.

The audio featured Kennedy in a 2016 conversation slamming Trump: "The way that you build a truly vicious nationalist movement is to wed a relatively small core of belligerent idiots to a much larger group of opportunists and spineless travelers whose primary function is to turn a blind eye to things." He went on to say, "We may not have that many outright Nazis in America, but we have plenty of cowards and bootlickers— and once those fleshy dominoes start tumbling into the Trump camp, the game is up."

Kennedy also remarked that in at least one respect, Trump differed from Hitler, stating, "Hitler had like a plan, you know, Hitler was interested in policy... Trump doesn’t have any of that. He’s like non compos mentis. He’ll get in there, and who knows what will happen." CNN later clarified that Kennedy was quoting journalist Matt Taibbi, whose critique Kennedy had praised as 'beautifully written' and 'fun to read' during a segment on his Ring of Fire radio show, as reported by Mediaite.

Kennedy has since apologized, issuing a statement through Trump’s transition team. “Like many Americans, I allowed myself to believe the mainstream media’s distorted, dystopian portrait of President Trump,” Kennedy said. “I no longer hold this belief and now regret having made those statements. President Trump has a tremendous vision for our country that will not only make our country healthy again but will lower the cost of living for all Americans, stop endless wars, protect free speech, secure our Southern border, and make our country great again. I am proud to serve in President Trump’s administration.”

This is not the first time Kennedy’s remarks about Trump have drawn backlash. In a 2018 Newsweek op-ed, Kennedy, then a Democrat, described Trump’s presidency as "a discredit to our nation and the American experiment in self-government." He also referred to Trump as a 'terrible president' during his independent bid for the presidency in 2024, labeling Trump’s early political rise as 'scary' and accusing him of exploiting fear and division. 

Similarly, according to another article by CNN, Kennedy frequently accused Trump of using fear, bigotry, and xenophobia to fuel what he described as a 'dangerous' nationalist movement, warning that Trump’s policies would harm the climate and jeopardize clean water. He also likened Trump’s supporters to white Americans in the 1970s who, he claimed, saw the Civil Rights Movement as a 'social demotion.' In August of this year, when asked if he would consider serving in Trump’s cabinet, Kennedy replied, “No." However, just weeks later, he ended his campaign and endorsed Trump.