Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he “won’t take sides” on the subject of the truth of the 9/11 attacks but would push for transparency if elected president.
Kennedy wrote in a post on the social platform X that the government “routinely” lying makes determining what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t difficult to determine but he would not favor one side on theories about 9/11.
“My take on 9/11: It's hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn't. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I won't take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates,” Kennedy said. “But I can promise is that I will open the files and usher in a new era of transparency.”
Kennedy shortly after posted a follow-up comment saying he was referring to a segment on CBS's "60 Minutes" that recently aired discussing possible involvement from Saudi Arabia in the attacks.
The federal government's investigation on 9/11 concluded the attacks only involved the terrorist group al Qaeda and not any other entity, but some have alleged that the Saudi government played a role in assisting in the attacks or at least was complicit in them. Some family members of 9/11 victims have pressed for more information about possible Saudi involvement in the attacks.
The "60 Minutes" report revealed video of a Saudi intelligence operative with ties to two of the hijackers standing outside the Capitol two years before the attacks, around the time that the targets of the attack were being chosen.
A group of 9/11 survivors and families have called on President Biden, former President Trump and lawmakers to address the revelation.
The Saudi government has denied any involvement in the attacks and said the video is only showing tourism.
Kennedy, who initially gained prominence as an activist spreading misinformation about and questioning the efficacy of vaccines, has previously made controversial comments and leaned into conspiracy theories surrounding the 2001 attacks.
He said during a podcast interview in September that he doesn’t “know what happened on 9/11” and referenced a conspiracy theory surrounding 7 World Trade Center, a smaller building in the complex that collapsed as a result of debris from the Twin Towers.
“I know there’s strange things that happened. … One of the buildings came down that wasn’t hit by a plane,” Kennedy said.
“I don’t want to argue any theories about this, because all I’ve heard is questions. I have no explanation, I have no knowledge of it, but what you’re repeating now I know not to be true,” he continued, responding to the interviewer’s pushback on the theory about the building.
Kennedy said at the time that he was not backing the theory about 7 World Trade Center but didn’t necessarily believe the results of the federal government’s investigation into the attacks.
Kennedy has also made other controversial statements during the campaign. He was accused of antisemitism and racism after floating conspiracy theories linking Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has said there is "overwhelming" evidence that the CIA was involved in the assassination of his uncle, former President Kennedy.
Many members of the Kennedy family have rejected RFK Jr.'s candidacy and policy views and declared their support for Biden.
Kennedy is running as an alternative candidate trying to appeal to voters upset with both choices from the two major parties, Biden and Trump. He has gained some support in the polls but mostly stayed at no higher than 10 percent, well behind both candidates.
He is averaging about 8 percent in the aggregate of national polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. But he has been racking up signatures in various states as part of his effort to get on the ballot in every state in the nation.
—Updated at 11:19 a.m.
