RFK Jr. Allies Pursue Comedy Film on COVID-19 Response

Allies of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Are seeking funding for a satirical comedy, “The Rash,” centered around the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project, spearheaded by Kennedy’s former running mate Nicole Shanahan, aims to offer an alternative narrative to what they perceive as a biased historical account of the pandemic era.

The Film’s Premise and Key Players

Written by Walter Kirn, author of “Thumbsucker” and “Up in the Air,” “The Rash” depicts a public health crisis that ignites “contagious fear, and loathing.” The story follows a Stanford public health professor – widely understood to be based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya – who challenges the prevailing “mania” surrounding an outbreak of a contagious skin condition. Politico reports that Bhattacharya has expressed positive views on the project, seeing it as a commitment to free speech and open inquiry.

Bhattacharya gained prominence for his vocal opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and his co-authorship of the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for a herd immunity approach to the pandemic. He was recently appointed as the acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Funding and Production Efforts

Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley lawyer and entrepreneur who served as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, is an executive producer on the film. The Daily Beast notes that Shanahan has been actively pitching the project to investors. The Brownstone Institute, where Bhattacharya was previously a senior scholar, has as well been involved in fundraising efforts, estimating a budget of nearly $6 million.

In September 2025, Kirn shared a teaser trailer for “The Rash” on social media, suggesting the potential involvement of George Clooney, who starred in the film adaptation of Kirn’s book “Up in the Air.”

Underlying Narrative and Criticism

The Brownstone Institute, in a pitch to potential funders, articulated a desire to counter what they describe as an “establishment preference” for a narrative portraying COVID-19 as a deadly pathogen defeated by an innovative vaccine. They argue that the true story is more complex, involving “dangerous scientific experiments mixed with misleading propaganda, mass psychosis, and outright lies.” The institute envisions the film as a celebration of “great heroes who stood up and said no.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Suspended his presidential campaign in August 2024 and subsequently endorsed Donald Trump.