Zoom Image
Presidential candidate Kennedy Jr.: "We greatly appreciate Mr. Clapton's support"
Photo: BRIAN SNYDER / REUTERS
British guitarist Eric Clapton has apparently tried in vain to donate $5000 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign. This is reported by the portal Business Insider . Documents from the U.S. Federal Election Commission show that Kennedy's campaign team reimbursed Clapton a sum of $13,2023 on July 5000, <>.
In the U.S., such campaign contributions from people from other countries are prohibited by law – this applies both to the donation itself and to its acceptance. Clapton is a British citizen and resides in England.
The Kennedy Jr. campaign office confirmed the donation to SPIEGEL: "Although we greatly appreciate Mr. Clapton's support, we have refunded the contribution because he is not a U.S. citizen," it said on request.
Important voice of the anti-vaccination movement in the USA
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and submitted his candidacy for president in the U.S. in April. Like his uncle, he wants to run for the Democrats. However, he is considered to have no chance. In the past, Kennedy Jr. had often attracted attention with crude conspiracy theories and the spread of misinformation. He is also considered an avowed opponent of Covid-19 vaccinations. The »New York Times« wrote of »Kennedy's crusade against Covid vaccines«.
Eric Clapton had also repeatedly criticized lockdown measures in his home country of Great Britain during the corona pandemic. In his song »Stand and Deliver« he compared being a musician in lockdown to slavery. The song was composed by his colleague Van Morrison, who had also sharply criticized the restrictions on his performance opportunities due to the corona measures. Clapton himself also refused to perform at venues where only vaccinated visitors were admitted.
In 2021, Clapton was a guest on a Kennedy Jr. podcast, where he was critical of the corona vaccinations.
JLO