Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his wife, actor Cheryl Hines, does not support Donald Trump and accused “West Wing” alum Bradley Whitford of bullying her in a social media post. (Watch the video below.)
Kennedy dropped his independent presidential bid and endorsed Republican nominee Trump last week, parlaying the move into a reported staffing advisory job with the former president’s transition team should he win.
Hines, meanwhile, took harsh backlash for praising her husband’s decision “to run on the principle of unity” in a thank-you to campaign workers on X while failing to mention his alliance with Trump.
Kennedy emphasized she did not support him joining forces with Trump in any fashion.
“She is a lifelong Democrat, and the idea of me supporting Donald Trump … was, like I said — it’s something she would have never imagined, that she never wanted in her life,” he said. “I think it causes her a lot of discomfort.”
Kennedy confirmed the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star did attend a meeting with him and Trump ― but it was “mainly to make sure that there were no hasty decisions made” because it was “a difficult issue for Cheryl.”
“She went along with it because she loves me and wanted to be supportive of me but was not something she ever encouraged,” Kennedy said.
Among a chorus of objectors, Whitford’s rebuke of Hines stood out for its personal nature and his celebrity.
“Hey @CherylHines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights,” he wrote on X.
When TMZ’s Harvey Levin asked Kennedy about it, he replied: “I had to suppress some strong feelings about that. It’s a template for bullying. … Instead of challenging me, he’s attacking my wife. Who would do that? What kind of man would do that? Why wouldn’t he talk to me directly?”