Hey, Quit Picking on Chris Pratt's Best Bud-in-Law RFK Jr.

Outside of his weird, folksy fireside chat about how good sportsmanship will save America after the November 2024 election, Chris Pratt has made it a point to steer clear of politics. While it hasn’t been difficult to divine which side his bread is buttered on, Pratt would like everybody to buy tickets to his movies. He wisely keeps his takes buttoned up, and America is better for it.

So, imagine my surprise when Pratt showed up on Bill Maher’s podcast. Does he not know who Maher is? Because talking to that guy is a political landmine waiting to be stepped on, which is exactly what Pratt did. Taking a page from Zachary Levi’s book, Star-Lord couldn’t help but gush about RFK Jr. However, Pratt at least has a personal connection: The croaky-voiced horsemen known as pestilence is an in-law. Turns out the Kennedys are big on family dinners even though I’m repeatedly told they all hate Bobby for dragging the family name through raw sewage. When people hear the name Kennedy now, the reactions are nothing but whale juice and phone sex instead of respectable scandals like — *Googles* — Chappaquiddick. Wait.

Anyway, Chris Pratt has never seen RFK Jr. cause a measles outbreak over Pinochle, so why doesn’t everyone lay off the guy, alright? “I really got along with him well and think he’s great,” Pratt told Maher about their several family dinner hangs. “He’s funny, he’s wonderful. I love him.”

Via Variety:

“I don’t know what to believe [about Kennedy],” Pratt continued “It’s not like I say to [him], ‘Let’s talk about this’ while we’re playing cards or having fun or having dinner. I’m not going to pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true. I just assume that none of them are? For the most part, I wish him well.”

“There’s certain things [that Kennedy] oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way — like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food,” Pratt added in reference to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, which seeks to reduce ultra-processed foods in the U.S. “I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing. I’d hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I’d be having an allergic reaction to. To be like, ‘Oh, well, if they do it, I don’t want it to happen. I’ll put Clorox in my children’s cereal myself!’ Be reasonable here. There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”

In Chris Pratt’s defense, it’s hard to know where RFK Jr. stands on issues.

1. There’s a worm in his head.
2. It’s not like he’s the top health official in the country who makes statements that are a matter of public record and then enacts policy based on those statements. The man’s a mystery!

For all Pratt knows, RFK Jr. might actually love vaccines. He probably hands them out at Christmas. Give him a chance.