As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to draw more attention to his 2024 presidential campaign, a claim that he once made about suspected neurological issues has surfaced.
According to a new report by The New York Times, the claim was made in a 2012 deposition. In the document, the son of RFK opened up about his past health issues.
He pointed out that he started struggling with some neurological issues in 2010. Among the issues he experienced were severe memory loss and brain fog.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went to his doctors for help. However, his physicians grew worried when one of his brain scans had a dark spot on it.
Initially believing that the dark spot was a brain tumor, Kennedy’s doctors prepared to have surgery to remove it. However, another doctor from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital told him that they believed the spot was a dead worm.
Explaining the situation, Robert K. Kennedy claimed the dark spot was caused by a worm that somehow got into his brain. Although he wasn’t sure how it ended up in his brain, Kennedy stated parasite was eating some of his brain.
However, the worm eventually died and it was still just in his brain causing neurological issues.
Robert F. Kennedy Didn’t Know When He Contracted the Worm, Believed He Also Suffered From Mercury Poisoning
Robert F. Kennedy wasn’t quite sure how he contracted the parasite, but he believed it made its way into his brain while he was in Southeast Asia. He further pointed out that the effects of the worm did not require treatment and he was able to recover.
Also in the 2012 deposition, Kennedy shared that his cognitive symptoms may have been caused by elevated mercury levels. This could have been from his diet, as he overconsumed seafood at one point.
He revealed that his blood tests showed his mercury levels to be 10 times higher than what is deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to the EPA, Memory loss is among the symptoms of mercury poisoning. Other symptoms include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, and headaches.
Stefanie Spear, a spokesperson for Kennedy’s campaign, released a statement to CNN about the resurfaced deposition claims. “The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago and he is in robust physical and mental health. Questioning Mr. Kennedy’s health is a hilarious suggestion, given his competition,” Spears stated, referring to the other 2024 presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
CNN also reached out to infectious disease expert, Dr. Peter Hotez, about the claim. “It’s an incomplete story,” he said. He also noted that people with pork tapeworm infections in their brains do experience seizures and are put on anti-seizure medication.
He notes when the worms die, they form a calcified cyst in the brain that causes the brain to release inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines.