An organization backing the independent candidate spent $7 million on a Super Bowl ad, after collecting $15 million from a major Trump donor
The super PAC backing anti-vaxxer Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign spent a reported $7 million to air a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The ad is a retro-looking remake of a famous spot aired by President John F. Kennedy, called “Kennedy for Me” — using photos of RFK Jr. in place of pictures of his uncle. The ad comes after JFK’s grandson called RFK Jr.’s presidential campaign “an embarrassment,” saying that “he’s trading in on Camelot, celebrity conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame.”
As Rolling Stone previously reported, the pro-RFK super PAC, American Values 2024, has been primarily funded by two people: the Kennedy campaign’s top security consultant and one of the biggest donors supporting former President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid.
Timothy Mellon, an heir to the Mellon banking fortune, has donated $15 million to the Kennedy outside group. He’s separately donated $10 million to Make America Great Again Inc., the pro-Trump super PAC.
The other primary donor to American Values 2024 is Gavin de Becker, who leads the security team for Kennedy’s independent campaign. De Becker has donated $10 million to the super PAC. Curiously, the super PAC has refunded most of the cash to him — with de Becker telling Puck News that he has been providing “bridge funding” to the organization and plans to give more.
