RFK Jr Reacts After Zoe Hines Joins WWE Performance Center Rookie Class

Zoe Hines is officially part of WWE’s newest rookie class, and now Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is publicly reacting after WWE confirmed her signing.

WWE announced Wednesday that its latest class of recruits has reported to the WWE Performance Center, officially welcoming Hines into the developmental system. The signing immediately drew attention due to her family connection to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who didn’t hesitate to celebrate the news online.

After WWE made the announcement, Kennedy took to social media to acknowledge the moment and share his excitement about his niece entering the wrestling business.

“My niece Zoe Hines just joined the pantheon of WWE wrestlers!”

This isn’t the first time Kennedy has spoken publicly about Hines’ WWE opportunity. When the signing first became public earlier this year, he credited Linda McMahon with helping make the deal happen while speaking at an event where she was present. During that earlier appearance, Kennedy made it clear he believed McMahon played a key role in opening the door.

“I now welcome my friend and my colleague, Linda McMahon. Linda’s become a very, very close friend and my niece, Zoe Hines, recently signed a contract with WWE, which Linda has a lot to do with, to become a wrestler and I’m really looking forward to knowing so many good doctors who could treat her after.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. currently serves as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, while Linda McMahon holds the position of U.S. Secretary of Education — connections that have added extra attention to Hines’ arrival in WWE’s system.

Before WWE confirmed the rookie class, questions had already started swirling about how the signing came together. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer previously claimed the decision had been expected internally long before the public announcement and suggested the move was influenced by political connections. According to Meltzer, the situation had been discussed behind the scenes months in advance and wasn’t viewed as a surprise by those familiar with it.

“I certainly heard a lot about Zoe Hines I would say six months ago, and it was very much this is one that was politically forced on them. She's a real athlete, she's a softball player. When she had her tryout, it's not like she knocked them dead or even knocked them even. It was very much said it was a forced hiring because of who she was and because of Robert F. Kennedy and Linda McMahon both being in the cabinet… I had heard people very much dreading knowing this.”

He also stated that within WWE, the hiring had been seen as inevitable well before the official announcement.

“As far as like the hiring of her, I would say it was probably known easily a year ago that it was inevitable this would happen… Everyone can approve, you never know, but it was one of those where the people who knew and seen and everything like that had told me it was a hire they were dreading because it was a forced one. Anyway, it's now official but it's been official for a long, long time.”

Now that the rookie class has been officially introduced and Kennedy has reacted publicly, the focus shifts to what happens next inside the Performance Center. Hines is now part of WWE’s developmental pipeline, and her progress in training will likely determine how this story is remembered moving forward.

Do you think Zoe Hines will prove herself once training begins, or do you think this signing will continue to raise questions? Drop your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.