Imagine living every day with the shadow of history’s darkest moments looming over your loved one’s every step. That’s the reality actress Cheryl Hines faced as her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., embarked on his independent presidential bid in 2024, haunted by the tragic assassinations of his father and uncle.
Fox News reported that during his campaign, Hines grappled with intense fear for Kennedy’s safety, a concern amplified by the lack of Secret Service protection, only to see lingering threats even after he suspended his run and endorsed Donald Trump.
Hines opened up about this emotional burden in a candid CBS interview, previewed by host Gayle King and set to air fully on “CBS Mornings.”
The weight of the Kennedy family’s past is no small burden, with both Robert F. Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy falling to assassins’ bullets in the 1960s. That history led to Secret Service protection for candidates, yet the Biden administration repeatedly denied Kennedy’s requests during his campaign—a decision that seems baffling given the stakes.
Hines didn’t mince words about the toll this took. “I found it stressful that Bobby didn’t get Secret Service protection,” she told CBS News’ Natalie Morales. One has to wonder if bureaucratic stubbornness trumped common sense here.
Even worse, a heavily armed individual managed to infiltrate one of Kennedy’s campaign events in September 2023. If that doesn’t scream “wake-up call,” what does?
Only after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump—date unspecified in reports—did Kennedy finally receive Secret Service protection. But, in a twist that defies logic, it was yanked once he suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Trump.
Now, he’s under the guard of the U.S. Marshals Service, which, while commendable, feels like a half-measure for someone with such a target on his back.
Hines’ fears didn’t vanish with the campaign’s end. “I think every day somebody would say to me, ‘Are you worried about him getting shot like his father and like his uncle?’ And I was. I was very worried about it,” she confessed to “CBS Mornings.”
She added, “Still worried about it. I don’t think Bobby tells me all of the threats that he gets, if I’m being honest.” That lingering dread, shielded from full disclosure, paints a picture of a spouse carrying an unspoken burden—hardly the “progressive” ideal of transparency some might preach.
Kennedy’s run as an independent wasn’t just a personal risk; it came with a firestorm of criticism over his stances on vaccines, food policy, and autism.
Political opponents have also taken aim at his appointment by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Agree or disagree, the man’s willingness to challenge sacred cows aligns with a certain “Make America Healthy Again” ethos that resonates with many fed up with establishment overreach.
Yet, the personal cost to Hines can’t be ignored. Living under constant threat isn’t just a political footnote; it’s a human story of anxiety in a world quick to judge but slow to protect.
Seeing Kennedy and Hines at Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, must have been bittersweet. Behind the public smiles, one imagines Hines still scanning the crowd for danger—a stark reminder that some risks never fade.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment, but the silence so far speaks volumes.
Shouldn’t a nation that prides itself on security do better for someone with Kennedy’s history? This isn’t about left or right; it’s about basic decency.
The saga of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign and Hines’ raw honesty pulls back the curtain on the personal toll of public life. While some may scoff at his views or Trump’s endorsement, dismissing the real threats he faces feels like the kind of callous elitism conservatives often rail against.
Ultimately, Cheryl Hines’ story is a gut check for a culture obsessed with political theater over human safety. If we can’t agree on protecting those who dare to speak out, what exactly are we fighting for? Let’s hope this sparks a serious rethink before history repeats itself in the worst way.