Russell Brand joins RFK Jr at ‘presidential run' fundraising event
Mr Kennedy held a super Pac (political action committee) call on Wednesday with hundreds of supporters and influencers aimed at energising his Make America Healthy Again (Maha) base.
Although a bid for the White House was not explicitly discussed, insiders told Axios that the call suggested Mr Kennedy is considering another run for the White House, after pulling out of the race in 2024 to support Donald Trump.
Mr Kennedy was joined on the call by several speakers including Mr Brand, who is facing charges of rape and sexual assault which he denies. The comedian backed the health secretary's previous run for president and performed at one of his campaign events.
Mr Brand has since grown close to Mr Kennedy, with the health secretary sharing a photo on social media in February of him holding a lizard alongside the comedian and a topless Dr Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Other prominent figures on the call were Tony Lyons, the Maha Pac leader, Robert Malone, a vaccine scientist, and Mr Kennedy's chief adviser Stefanie Spear, sources told Axios.
The participation of Mr Lyons led some to believe that the Pac, a political action committee allowed to raise large amounts of money, is ready to act as a fundraising machine for Mr Kennedy should he choose to enter the race to replace Mr Trump.
Mr Lyons, who is also a close ally of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, in May became chairman of the newly launched Maha Institute, dedicated to influencing government policy on food ingredients, agricultural inputs and overall health.
During the call, financial pledges were allegedly taken, but with no information given on how much money was raised and whether it will be saved up for a 2028 campaign.
Ms Spear, who worked as press secretary on Mr Kennedy's presidential campaign, is said to have highlighted changes her boss has made to the department of health and human services (HHS) so far, and urged supporters to remain patient for further policy announcements.
Mr Kennedy pleased Maha supporters by persuading several food companies to remove artificial dyes from their products but has drawn criticism for his decision to form a new vaccine review board that experts fear will promote vaccine-scepticism.
JD Vance, the vice-president, and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, are widely viewed as the frontrunners in the race to succeed Mr Trump.
The president has repeatedly stoked speculation about running for an unconstitutional third term, with some suggesting that his son, Donald Trump Jr, could run in his place.
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