Pence Group Urges Republican Senators To Reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nomination With New Ad Campaign

A conservative organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence will launch an ad campaign over the next month preceding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s confirmation hearings for his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Service.

Pence’s group, Advancing American Freedom, will call out Kennedy for his changing stance on abortion. AAF wrote a letter to senators criticizing Kennedy Jr.’s “pro-abortion” agenda after making “overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS.” Kennedy had recently made comments that point to his support for abortions that take place later in women’s pregnancies.

Pence did not endorse President Donald Trump‘s campaign and released a statement in November 2024 criticizing his nomination of Kennedy to lead HHS.

The former vice president was shaken by the events of the Jan. 6 riots, when rioters threatened violence against him for refusing to halt the certification of Joe Biden’s win. Pence called out Trump for threats to his safety in his 2022 memoir, So Help Me God.

Kennedy’s stance is “completely out of step with the strong, pro-life record of the first Trump Administration,” wrote AAF President Tim Chapman.

The letter also details the AAF’s concern about Kennedy’s support for conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine stances and past liberal views.

“RFK has expressed support for conspiracy theories involving vaccines and WiFi, adopted positions that would undermine public order, increase nuisance, and massively increase the size of government while exhibiting numerous, widely reported, personal failings that would likely undermine his ability to lead the department,” the AAF wrote.

Many pro-life leaders have expressed concerns about his position on abortion. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) reported in December that Kennedy promised “all of his deputies at HHS would be pro-life” and “reinstate conscience protections for healthcare providers.”

AAF believes “an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children.” The letter then encourages senators to “reject the nomination of any pro-abortion nominees to serve at HHS.”