Former President Bill Clinton raised eyebrows with his unconventional eulogy for Ethel Kennedy.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Clinton shared personal anecdotes that some attendees found peculiar given the solemn occasion.
On Wednesday, Clinton's speech, delivered at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., included lighthearted comments about his relationship with the late Kennedy matriarch. He described Ethel Kennedy, who passed away at 96, as "the cat's meow" and recalled instances of innocent flirtation.
The former president's candid remarks caught the audience off guard. Clinton shared:
I thought your mother was the cat's meow. She would flirt with me in the most innocent ways.
These comments elicited cautious laughter from the gathered mourners, which included prominent politicians and members of the Kennedy family.
Clinton continued his speech by recounting a conversation he had with Ethel about population growth and immigration. He joked about how the U.S. needed more people like her, referring to her large family of 11 children.
The funeral service was attended by several high-profile figures, including President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama. Notably absent were former Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ethel's son, attended the funeral with his wife, Cheryl Hines, despite recent family tensions. RFK Jr.'s support for Donald Trump and his independent presidential run have reportedly strained relations with some family members.
The presence of RFK Jr. at both the private ceremony in Cape Cod on Monday and the funeral on Wednesday suggested a potential easing of family conflicts. However, the political undercurrents were palpable, given the diverse attendance of current and former presidents.
Clinton's funeral remarks come on the heels of other recent controversies. Earlier in the week, he faced criticism for incorrectly attributing the death of a college student to Trump's immigration policies when, in fact, the incident occurred during the Biden administration.
Additionally, newly unsealed court documents have reignited discussions about Clinton's connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. These documents describe Clinton as "a key person" in their lives, contradicting his previous statements about the nature of their relationship.
The former president's eulogy for Ethel Kennedy, while intended to be heartfelt, has added to a series of public missteps. His comments, while seemingly affectionate, have been perceived by some as inappropriate for a funeral setting.
Clinton's speech at Ethel Kennedy's funeral highlights the complex intersections of personal relationships, political legacies, and public perception. The unexpected nature of his remarks serves as a reminder of the delicate balance public figures must maintain, even in moments of mourning.
