Aaron Rodgers Appears to Endorse Anti-Vax Conspiracist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 Presidential Run

Reposting a reel from friend Aubrey Marcus on Instagram, the NFL quarterback added flexed-arm emojis, red heart emojis and the hashtag #kennedy2024

Star NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared to endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 Democratic presidential run in his Instagram stories Tuesday night.

Rodgers, 39, reposted a reel from his friend Aubrey Marcus, host of the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, where Rodgers frequently appears as a guest. All three men — Marcus, Rodgers and RFK., Jr. — seem to share staunch anti-vax views.

On the Instagram reel, which features a clip from his podcast interview with RFK Jr., Aubrey Marcus gushes about the budding politician's "integrity," "courage" and "wisdom," extolling, "I believe he's going to win. … I believe he's going to continue to continue the legacy of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and his father Robert Kennedy, and we talk about that a bit on this podcast."

While reposting Marcus' reel, Rodgers added two flexed-arm emojis, 2 red heart emojis, and the hashtag #kennedy2024 — all apparent indicators that he supports Bobby Jr.'s run for president.

Rodgers became embroiled in controversy in 2021 when he was caught in a lie about being vaccinated for COVID-19.

Related:Aaron Rodgers 'Didn't Expect' Negative Response to COVID-19 Comments

He tested positive for COVID-19 after previously stating that he had been "immunized" ahead of the football season that year. Two days later, he revealed that he hadn't been vaccinated, claiming it was because he was allergic to an ingredient in the mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) shots. Instead, Rodgers said he was following his own "immunization protocol" with ivermectin, a drug that hasn't been authorized to address or prevent COVID-19.

He defended lying about his vaccine status when discussing the controversy with podcast host Joe Rogan, saying, "I'd been ready the entire time for this question and had thought about how I wanted to answer it. And I had come to the conclusion I'm going to say, 'I've been immunized.' And if there's a follow-up, then talk about my process."

"But, [I] thought there's a possibility that I say 'I'm immunized,' maybe they understand what that means, maybe they don't. Maybe they follow up. They didn't follow up," he explained. "So then I go the season [with] them thinking, some of them, that I was vaccinated."

Related:Aaron Rodgers Details NFL Protocols After Admitting He's Unvaccinated Despite 'Immunized' Statement

"And then…I contract COVID in the beginning of November, end of October. And that's when the s--- storm hit, because now I'm a liar, I'm endangering the community, my teammates, all these people," he said.

For his part, RFK, Jr. — an environmental lawyer and the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy — is a longtime anti-vaccine conspiracist and is one of the loudest voices behind the modern anti-vaccine movement. Bobby Jr. founded a group called Children's Health Defense, which is widely known for its anti-vax work and was kicked off social media for spreading misinformation about the virus. He's been regularly called out for his conspiracist views, including by his family.

On April 6, the day he announced his presidential run, his younger sister, Kerry Kennedy (who spearheads the advocacy group RFK Human Rights), said, "I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations and the role of social media platforms in policing false information. It is also important to note that Bobby's views are not reflected in or influence the mission or work of our organization."

Related:Kerry Kennedy Speaks Out on Bobby Jr.'s Bid for Presidency

Bobby Jr.'s youngest brother, 56-year-old Doug Kennedy, a correspondent for FOX News Channel, agreed. When contacted by PEOPLE about Bobby Jr.'s run last week, he said, "Everyone [in the family] loves him and recognizes his talent. Not everyone agrees with his positions."

Bobby Jr., who is married to Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, has not held any campaign rallies or other public events since announcing his bid for the presidency. He's been accused of spreading false information, lobbying against legislation that would require children to get necessary vaccines and encouraging people to ignore the medical community's push for vaccinations at the height of COVID-19.

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He also criticized former U.S. top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci's handling of the pandemic. In 2021, Bobby Jr. published a book called The Real Anthony Fauci accusing the expert of promoting "a historic coup d'etat against Western democracy." Bobby Jr. also recommended using ivermectin and the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, neither of which were recommended by the FDA.

And in one anti-vaccine speech he gave in Washington, D.C., Bobby Jr. compared U.S. vaccine policies to actions taken by Nazi Germany. He was banned from Instagram in 2021 for "sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," which he called "a formula for catastrophe and a coup d'état against the First Amendment" in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.

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