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The Rise of RFK Jr. (full documentary) - PBS Frontline
Oct 21, 2025 FRONTLINE
How Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the scion of a storied dynasty, endured tragedy and scandal, broke with the Democratic Party and his family, stoked conspiracy theories, and is reshaping government and public health.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
“The Rise of RFK Jr.”offers a powerful portrait of how President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services became who he is today — starting with his childhood in the public eye as a nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy.
The two-hour documentary draws on rich archival footage and two dozen interviews that include Kennedy’s lifelong friends, his cousin, top political advisors, close allies in the anti-vaccine movement, scientists he has clashed with, and some he has pushed out of the government. The film is a revelatory examination of Kennedy’s life — his darkest moments, his triumphs, and the influence he’s now exerting as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“If he continues in the current approach, it will make decisions to get vaccinated more difficult. As you see an erosion of people’s trust, you’ll see the numbers of people getting vaccinated going down, and you’ll start to see the numbers of illnesses coming back up,” says Dr. Daniel Jernigan, one of several top CDC officials who resigned under Kennedy and speaks out in the film. “And that’s an awful thing to think about in a country that has put so much into protecting Americans with vaccines so far.”
But Kennedy’s die-hard supporters, especially from the anti-vaccine movement, insist he is bringing welcome changes to America’s health system.
“He’s trying to triage the worst health situation this country has ever found itself in,” says Del Bigtree, a podcaster, vaccine critic and a close friend of Kennedy. “You don’t have time to have disagreement around you. Get someone in here who agrees with where we’re going, and let’s do this.”
Timely and gripping, “The Rise of RFK Jr.” is a must-watch documentary on one of the most prominent and controversial people in U.S. politics right now, and his impact on the country.
“The Rise of RFK Jr.” is a FRONTLINE production with Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd. The director is Michael Kirk. The writers are Michael Kirk and Mike Wiser. The producers are Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser, Vanessa Fica and Elliott Choi. The reporters are Vanessa Fica and Brooke Nelson Alexander. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
[...]
00:00 - Prologue
00:34 - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Donald Trump Connect After Trump Assassination Attempt on July 13, 2024
05:16 - A Look Back at RFK Jr.’s Childhood
14:35 - RFK Jr.’s Battle With Drug Addiction
36:09 - RFK Jr.’s Marriage to Mary Richardson Kennedy & Her Death by Suicide
41:56 - The Origins of RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Activism
57:02 - RFK Jr.’s Stance on the COVID-19 Pandemic
01:08:09 - RFK Jr.’s 2024 Independent Presidential Campaign
01:16:38 - Why RFK Jr. Endorsed Donald Trump for President in 2024
01:26:04 - RFK Jr.’s Confirmation Hearings for Secretary of Health and Human Services
01:33:48 - How RFK Jr. is Reshaping Public Health in America as HHS Secretary
01:41:23 - An Attack on the CDC Headquarters in Atlanta in August 2025
01:52:17 - Credits
How Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the scion of a storied dynasty, endured tragedy and scandal, broke with the Democratic Party and his family, stoked conspiracy theories, and is reshaping government and public health.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
“The Rise of RFK Jr.”offers a powerful portrait of how President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services became who he is today — starting with his childhood in the public eye as a nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy.
The two-hour documentary draws on rich archival footage and two dozen interviews that include Kennedy’s lifelong friends, his cousin, top political advisors, close allies in the anti-vaccine movement, scientists he has clashed with, and some he has pushed out of the government. The film is a revelatory examination of Kennedy’s life — his darkest moments, his triumphs, and the influence he’s now exerting as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“If he continues in the current approach, it will make decisions to get vaccinated more difficult. As you see an erosion of people’s trust, you’ll see the numbers of people getting vaccinated going down, and you’ll start to see the numbers of illnesses coming back up,” says Dr. Daniel Jernigan, one of several top CDC officials who resigned under Kennedy and speaks out in the film. “And that’s an awful thing to think about in a country that has put so much into protecting Americans with vaccines so far.”
But Kennedy’s die-hard supporters, especially from the anti-vaccine movement, insist he is bringing welcome changes to America’s health system.
“He’s trying to triage the worst health situation this country has ever found itself in,” says Del Bigtree, a podcaster, vaccine critic and a close friend of Kennedy. “You don’t have time to have disagreement around you. Get someone in here who agrees with where we’re going, and let’s do this.”
Timely and gripping, “The Rise of RFK Jr.” is a must-watch documentary on one of the most prominent and controversial people in U.S. politics right now, and his impact on the country.
“The Rise of RFK Jr.” is a FRONTLINE production with Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd. The director is Michael Kirk. The writers are Michael Kirk and Mike Wiser. The producers are Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser, Vanessa Fica and Elliott Choi. The reporters are Vanessa Fica and Brooke Nelson Alexander. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
[...]
00:00 - Prologue
00:34 - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Donald Trump Connect After Trump Assassination Attempt on July 13, 2024
05:16 - A Look Back at RFK Jr.’s Childhood
14:35 - RFK Jr.’s Battle With Drug Addiction
36:09 - RFK Jr.’s Marriage to Mary Richardson Kennedy & Her Death by Suicide
41:56 - The Origins of RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Activism
57:02 - RFK Jr.’s Stance on the COVID-19 Pandemic
01:08:09 - RFK Jr.’s 2024 Independent Presidential Campaign
01:16:38 - Why RFK Jr. Endorsed Donald Trump for President in 2024
01:26:04 - RFK Jr.’s Confirmation Hearings for Secretary of Health and Human Services
01:33:48 - How RFK Jr. is Reshaping Public Health in America as HHS Secretary
01:41:23 - An Attack on the CDC Headquarters in Atlanta in August 2025
01:52:17 - Credits
PBS's official website for this documentary, with additional supplemental content.
