Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he remains committed to pardoning NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. (Getty Images)
The information included the mass collection of Americans' metadata, allowing the government to see when and to whom a phone call or message was sent.
The video also featured a compilation of comments made by former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, all of whom criticized Snowden as a traitor.
"Prior to Edward Snowden, nobody knew that the intelligence agencies were illegally mining all of our data and spying on American citizens," Kennedy Jr. said. "So it's not surprising that those same intelligence agencies are now trying to portray Snowden as a criminal and that captive politicians are supporting that narrative."
"Edward Snowden is an American hero," Kennedy Jr. continued. "Instead of jailing Snowden, I'm going to build a statue to him and maybe to [WikiLeaks founder] Julian Assange somewhere near the Washington Press Club or perhaps outside the CIA headquarters in Langley as a civics lesson to the Republic."
EDWARD SNOWDEN SAYS BARACK OBAMA MADE SURVEILLANCE STATE 'WORSE'
Edward Snowden speaks via video link during a conference at University of Buenos Aires Law School, Argentina, Nov. 14, 2016. (Reuters)
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Trump has previously said he believes Snowden is a "total traitor" and even suggested once that the whistleblower "should be executed." Still, the former president later admitted he considered pardoning Snowden or Assange, who was indicted by Trump's Justice Department, in the final days of his administration, although he did not specify which one.
"The America I love doesn’t punish whistleblowers," Kenndy Jr. wrote in his petition. "Truth-tellers who champion free speech and try to return America to its democratic and humanitarian ideals should be revered, not prosecuted."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rfk-jr-reaffirms-pardon-edward-snowden-first-day-presidency