American Experience

Historian Michael Beschloss on Robert Kennedy's Role

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Before the Bay of Pigs Kennedy felt, here he was elected President and now he was going to behave like other Presidents; depend on his Secretary's of State and Defense, others entrusted with foreign policy and his brother, who had been his campaign manager, should spend his time learning his job at the Justice Department. After the failure of the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy felt that there was no one in the Administration he could trust as much as his brother Robert. He encouraged RFK to get very involved in foreign policy and other matters that went far beyond his responsibilities at the Justice Department. It was said that after the Bay of Pigs, the Kennedy presidency became almost a co-presidency between John and Robert Kennedy.

To have the President's brother in meetings where advisors were expected to say what they really thought, was a little bit intimidating. It was said by some Kennedy officials, little brother is watching, you better watch out. And they were absolutely right. Robert Kennedy would go back from a meeting with other members of the Cabinet, other Presidential advisors, where JFK was not present and he would tell the President what these people had said, therefore people were very nervous about what they should say and not say around Robert Kennedy.

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