Footage of Robert F. Kennedy Jr press conference deceptively edited

"Is RFK Jr. ok?" says a July 22, 2024 post sharing the video on Threads.

The same footage has appeared elsewhere on X and Instagram. It appears to stem from an account called "RFK Jr, Facts," which claims to "expose" the presidential candidate for "who he really is."

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Screenshot from Threads taken July 26, 2024

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and nephew of former US president John F. Kennedy, launched an independent bid for the White House in October 2023 after failing to gain enough traction ahead of the Democratic Party's primary contests.

Kennedy had qualified for ballot access in nine US states as of July 25, 2024, according to a New York Times tracker. Most national polls give Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, between four and eight percent of the vote -- far below Democratic and Republican contenders Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.

Kennedy claimed in a 2012 deposition that he was attacked by a worm that ate part of his brain and then died, causing severe memory loss and mental fog, US media reported in May 2024. AFP has not independently reviewed the claim, but he said around the same time that he was suffering from mercury poisoning, which can lead to neurological issues.

The presidential candidate has also blamed a rare neurological condition called spasmodic dysphonia, which causes involuntary spasms of the muscles that control the vocal cords, for his hoarse voice.

However, the 39-second video shared online strings together several moments of Kennedy stuttering to make it look like he could not finish his speech.

A keyframe search revealed the footage was taken during a July 21, 2024 press conference Kennedy held outside his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts after President Joe Biden suspended his re-election campaign earlier that day (archived here).

Some political observers had expected Kennedy to withdraw from the race after rumors swirled that Trump was considering him for a top health-related role in his administration if elected in November. However, no agreement between the two candidates materialized, and Kennedy criticized both Trump and Biden at the press conference.

While Kennedy pauses and repeats topics several times in the full video, the altered version exaggerates his stutter.

The clip is also edited to make it look like Kennedy prematurely ended the press conference after a reporter asked if he was "confused" about Biden dropping out because he continued to refer to Biden as a candidate and repeated much of his stump speech.

However, in the full video, Kennedy answers the question and speaks for about seven more minutes before ending his remarks.

AFP contacted the Kennedy campaign for comment, but a response was not forthcoming. 

AFP has fact-checked other false and misleading claims about the 2024 US election here.