ABC News edits anti-vaxx comments from interview with RFK Jr

ABC News edited anti-vax comments from Democratic presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from an interview that aired Thursday night.

Kennedy officially launched his highly anticipated presidential bid from Boston last week, running against Democratic President Joe Biden.

The son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy is an environmental advocate, but in more than a decade has also become one of the nation’s most prominent anti-vaxxers – erroneously associating jabs with autism.

“We should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines,” anchor Linsey Davis said when the interview aired. “We used editorial judgment by not including extensive parts of that exchange in our interview.”

“Data shows that the COVID-19 vaccine has prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease,” Davis continued. “He also made misleading claims about the relationship between vaccination and autism.”

The anchor then pointed to the research showing that vaccines and the ingredients in vaccines are not the cause of childhood autism, citing multiple studies involving more than a million pediatric patients and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Autism Speaks.

Despite Kennedy’s controversial views, a The Fox News Channel poll was released Wednesday showed that the Democratic hopefuls earned 19 percent of the Democratic primary.

Another 9 percent said they would vote for self-help guru Marianne Williamson, who also ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Biden — who made his re-election official on Tuesday — received 62 percent of the Democratic primary voters, the poll found.

Biden officially announced on Tuesday that he is running for re-election. On Wednesday, a Fox News Channel poll found that 62 percent of Democratic primary voters, 19 percent supported Kennedy and 9 percent liked Marianne Williamson

The Democratic National Committee is not expected to sponsor primary debates against Biden, which is typical when an incumbent is in power in the White House.

Biden even spends Friday night raising money for the DNC.

Kennedy is not the first member of his family to challenge a sitting president.

The late Senator Ted Kennedy ran against President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic nomination in 1980.

Carter was plagued by low approval ratings and a sluggish economy.

Biden’s approval rating, according to the Real Clear Politics poll average, stands at 42.9 percent.