Caroline Kennedy urges senators to vote against cousin RFK Jr

Caroline Kennedy - the cousin of Robert F Kennedy Jr - has urged US senators to reject her cousin as America's next health and human services secretary in a scathing letter released on Tuesday.

The message, shared through social media, was sent to senators ahead of RFK Jr's questioning by senators on Wednesday in what could prove a contentious first confirmation hearing.

"I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together," she wrote. "It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator."

Caroline Kennedy added that her cousin's views on vaccines disqualify him from the role of being one of America's leading health policymakers. RFK Jr has yet to respond.

In the message - published in video form online and sent to senators in a letter - Caroline Kennedy said her decision to speak out was prompted by her concerns about the high-profile role he could have in the Trump administration if confirmed.

The president, by contrast, has vowed that his nominee will "make America great and healthy again" by restoring US health agencies to "the traditions of gold standard scientific research".

The health and human services secretary oversees agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the latter of which has some 18,000 employees.

"He lacks any relevant government, financial, management, or medical experience," Caroline Kennedy said. "His views on vaccines are dangerous and wilfully misinformed."

RFK Jr has long been a vaccine sceptic and has baselessly claimed there is a link between vaccines and autism. He has, however, recently said jabs are "not going to be taken away from anybody" - and that his aim is to improve the science on vaccine safety, which he believes has "huge deficits".

He could face questions from senators in Wednesday's hearing about this topic, and his plans for targeting junk food - an issue on which he has wider public support.

Explaining her "predator" comment, Caroline Kennedy alleged that "Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own kids while building a following, hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs".

RFK Jr has previously been quoted saying he would "pay anything" to turn back time and not vaccinate his own children.

Raising further concerns about RFK Jr's "personal qualities", Caroline Kennedy claimed her cousin "encouraged" siblings and cousins "down the path of substance abuse".

RFK Jr has publicly spoken about his past struggle with drug addiction including heroin use. He plead guilty to bringing heroin onto a plane in 1984.

The letter also makes an historical claim of animal cruelty against RFK Jr. "His basement, his garage, and his dorm room were the centres of the action where drugs were available, and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks," Caroline Kennedy wrote. "It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence."

Caroline Kennedy - a former US ambassador to Australia and Japan - also said both her father, former President John F Kennedy, and her uncle Robert Kennedy, would be "disgusted" by her cousin's actions.

RFK Jr briefly ran for president last year as an independent after initially launching a Democratic primary bid. He eventually suspended his campaign, endorsing Trump.