The Night They Killed RFK HT

On June 5th, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down after delivering a triumphant speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. While the official story claimed the assassination was politically driven, some say the truth is much darker. This is [music] the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin [music] has different colors.

>> Underestimated from birth, he would become one of the most prominent members of the family, closely advising his presidential brother, making a public name for himself in his own right, [music] and unfortunately meeting a grizzly end, another devastatingly common Kennedy family trait. Robert  Francis Kennedy was born in 1925 in Brooklyn, Massachusetts into the prominent Kennedy family.

His father, Joseph Senior, was a wealthy businessman and influential Democratic politician, meaning Bobby [music] came into the world with a fortunate leg up. As the seventh of Joe and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, he was often overlooked or downright neglected. Bobby’s childhood relationship with his father was difficult at best.

Joe Senior wrote him off as the runt of the family, deciding instead to focus his attention and family ambitions on his eldest sons, Joseph Jr. and John. The Kennedy household was an intellectually stimulating environment to grow up in. Indeed, Bobby’s parents would often insist that the family discuss history  and current affairs around the dinner table, instilling in their children a deep sense of public duty.

But they failed in setting Bobby up for social life. As a teenager, he was sent to a number of different boarding schools, [music] and with so many changes throughout his teen years, Bobby found he couldn’t maintain many consistent friendships, becoming a quiet and awkward kid as a result. One of his school friends later recounted how the young Robert Kennedy would never back down from a challenge.

He was reportedly determined to overcome all of his shortcomings. [music] And when he failed, he would redouble his efforts. This should have been an early sign of potential, but unfortunately, Bobby would have to endure a few more years of being overlooked. After leaving school, he got his first job as a bank clerk in East Boston, a position he commuted to everyday on the subway.

It was here where the privileged young man first observed the inequity of the real world, encountering the common poverty of everyday people. This would inspire much of his later political work. On a skiing trip to Quebec in 1945, he met Ethel Skl and was immediately smitten. She was from Connecticut, but the two stayed in touch and would eventually marry in 1950.

Over the years, the couple had 11 children. [music] An odd choice considering how overlooked Bobby felt coming from such a large family himself. Tragically, in 1944, Bobby’s oldest brother, Joseph Jr., was killed while serving his country in World War II. It devastated the entire family, particularly Joe Senior, whose mournful reaction made a big impression on Bobby.

His brother’s demise meant he had suddenly moved up in the family hierarchy and began receiving more attention from his father, and now he needed an education to shore up such lofty ambitions. After some brief naval service towards the end of World War II, where he saw little action, Bobby enrolled in Harvard and graduated in 1948, obtaining a BA in political science.

The following September, he enrolled in the University of Virginia’s law school, graduating in 1951. Bobby got a job as a lawyer at the US Department of Justice in November of 1951. He initially worked in the internal security division, prosecuting cases related to espionage and subversion.

The following year, he transferred to the criminal division where he investigated high-profile political fraud. But it wasn’t long before family duty called. [music] By then, Bobby’s brother John had become something of a rising political star in the country. In June of 1952, Bobby resigned from the DOJ to manage his brother’s senatorial campaign.

The stakes were high for the Kennedy family at large and for Bobby in a more personal way. [music] JFK’s eventual victory was a huge moment for the Kennedys, establishing the young senator as a nationally prominent political figure with the potential to make it all the way to the White House. Bobby had his own success, too.

Later commenting on how he felt the campaign’s success finally convinced his father to take him seriously. >> Thank you very much. >> In December 1952, Bobby began working on Senator Joseph McCarthy’s infamous subcommittee investigating potential communist infiltration in all areas of American life. >> [music] >> Kennedy disapproved of McCarthy’s aggressive process and resigned from the committee in July 1953.

After the Democrats regained a majority in the US Senate, he joined the governing body’s select committee on improper activities in labor and management as chief counsel. Here he took on union corruption and labor racketeering publicly targeting Jimmy Hawer. >> Remember what you talked about? You can’t remember what it whether he was any event of anything of any importance.

Mr. Charity, I can’t recall it. >> Kennedy’s public face off with Hawa attracted national attention that significantly raised his profile. Alongside his brother John, the two received much media coverage as a duo with one publication dubbing the brothers Hot Tourist attractions in Washington.

It was time to capitalize on this attention. Bobby returned to his first great familial achievement, running his brother’s campaign. But this time, Jon was running for president. [music] With his newfound publicity, Bobby was much more involved this time, giving speeches throughout the primary season. And while crowds loved him, not everyone in the party did.

Running against JFK for the Democratic nomination was Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. And though he would lose it to Kennedy, he would end up on the ticket as Jon’s running mate. Bobby was not pleased with this and fearing Johnson’s ambitions unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to turn down the VP nomination.

Johnson, of course, refused, which began a mutual dislike between the two men that would continue well into JFK’s presidential term. >> We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom. >> JFK won the 1960 presidential election, and he set to work putting together his cabinet, opting to nominate his younger brother, Bobby, as United States Attorney General.

Bobby faced a lot of push back from the Washington elite with many calling his nomination a textbook case of nepotism while others criticized his lack of experience. Nevertheless, with his appointment as AG at the age of just 35, Robert Kennedy became one of the youngest presidential cabinet members in United States history.

>> I am pleased to accept the position of the attorney generalship of the United States. Given his perceived lack of qualifications, he opted to staff his office with many experienced lawyers, setting Washington minds at ease. Because he was the president’s brother, Bobby’s influence in the administration stretched beyond his own office.

Indeed, JFK came to rely on his brother’s advice, and the younger Kennedy became one of the president’s closest adviserss and most trusted confidants. The Associated Press even dubbed him Washington’s number two man. And with this power, Bobby got to work. Setting his sights on the mafia, he established a coordinated program of all 26 federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute their leaders.

He was also an outspoken advocate of the civil rights movement that was gaining increasing traction throughout the 1960s. He publicly supported the work of Martin Luther King and even collaborated with his brother in proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But his actions in private didn’t always reflect this progressive veneer.

One of Bobby’s most frequent collaborators was FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who viewed Martin Luther King as an enemy of the state. In 1962, Hoover alleged that some of King’s closest confidants and advisers were communists. Alarmed by this, Bobby authorized the FBI to wiretap Martin Luther King and some other civil rights leaders.

In October 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis, Bobby played a key role in bringing the temperature down through his negotiation tactics, with many contemporary historians crediting him and the trust placed in him by his brother as crucial to averting allout military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Indeed, after they averted the crisis, the president summed up the importance of his brother’s role, saying, “Thank God for Bobby.” And while the younger Kennedy was making waves on the world stage, his personal life was explosive, too. [music] Bobby wasn’t just a political figure, but a straightup celebrity.

The rumor mill really fired up when he was pictured at several events with Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe, sparking speculation of an affair. In 1962, at John F. Kennedy’s 45th birthday, Monroe famously sang Happy Birthday to the President in a sultry, provocative tone. But she appeared to have eyes for the other Kennedy.

Attendees of the party reported that the actress hardly left Bobby’s side all night. They claimed that Monroe literally pinned Bobby against a wall at one point right in front of his wife, Ethel. Ethel was apparently furious at the brazen act, telling Bobby when they got home that it was the most disgusting thing she’d ever seen.

In November 2016, after the auction of many of Monroe’s personal effects, a letter was unearthed that confirmed she was indeed having an affair with Robert [music] Kennedy. Not much more is known about the affair, but it’s safe to assume it didn’t last long after the great Kennedy family tragedy. from Dallas, Texas.

The flash apparently official President Kennedy died at 100 p.m. Central Standard [music] Time, 2:00 Eastern Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago. >> Bobby was at home on November 22nd, 1963 when he received a call from J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI director informed him that his brother, President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.

Hoover abruptly hung up before Bobby had a chance to ask any follow-up questions. Indeed, he later claimed that he believed Hoover enjoyed giving him the news, likely because of the tensions between him and the Kennedys. His brother’s assassination had a profound effect on Bobby, who grew more cynical as a result.

With Lynden Johnson now occupying the office of president, [music] the VP spot was vacant. An election approached the following year and many viewed Bobby as a potential candidate for the second spot on the Democratic ticket. However, it was an open secret that Bobby and LBJ disliked one another. Ultimately, Johnson landed on Hubert Humphrey and Bobby made moves elsewhere.

[music] He ultimately decided to run for the US Senate in 1964. However, as his younger brother Ted already occupied one of the Massachusetts seats, Bobby opted to run representing the state of New York. He received some criticism for this, particularly from his Republican opponent for being a carpet bagger, having never actually lived in the [music] state.

It didn’t seem to matter to voters, though, and Bobby won the election, taking his seat in 1965. As Bobby took office, the United States was marred in conflict in Vietnam. The new senator had always opposed US involvement there, even while his brother was president. As the 1968 presidential election loomed, Bobby was growing increasingly frustrated with the administration of his brother’s successor.

On March 16th that year, he declared he would challenge Lynden Johnson for the presidency. Running on a platform of decentralization of power, economic justice, non-aggression and foreign policy, racial equality, and social improvement, Bobb’s campaign quickly gained momentum. Stunningly, Lynden Johnson announced he would drop out of the race on March 31st.

Now neck andneck with Vice President Hubert Humphrey for the Democratic Party’s nomination, Kennedy stepped up his campaigning. On June 4th, Bobby scored major victories, winning both the California and South Dakota primaries. Shortly after midnight that night, he addressed supporters in a triumphant and rallying speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

>> What direction we want to go in the United States? >> As he left the stage, no one could predict that it would be his final public appearance. Kennedy left the ballroom and wanting to address the press room, opted to take a shortcut through the hotel’s kitchen. Earlier that day, his bodyguard had advised him to avoid this route as he felt it wasn’t properly secured.

Bobby did not heed his advice. An enthusiastic bus boy and supporter, Juan Romero, stopped Bobby in a crowded kitchen passageway. Forever the every man. He took a minute to shake Romero’s hand. As he did so, he was approached by 24year-old Sirhan Sirhan, who was carrying a loaded revolver. The young man opened fire, hitting Kennedy three times.

>> As onlookers wrestled the shooter to the ground, Bobby lay mortally wounded, asking Romero if everyone was okay. Despite extensive surgery to remove the bullets from his brain, Bobby died nearly 26 hours later. He was 42 years old. The official story for Sir Han’s motivations was retaliation for Bobby’s support for Israel following the 1967 6-day war.

[music] Sir Han was a supporter of the rights of Palestinians whose land is under Israeli occupation. There have been many conspiracy theories around Bobby’s assassination, including a second gunman and CIA involvement. Regardless of the truth, the Kennedys had lost yet another son, and the world had lost a powerful political force.

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