Robert F. Kennedy Jr.announced Monday that he is leaving the Democratic Party and will now be running for president as an independent.
The 69-year-old nephew of late PresidentJohn F. Kennedyand son of late U.S. Attorney GeneralRobert F. Kennedyannounced his party switch at a rally in Philadelphia on Monday, as he stood before signs reading “Kennedy 2024: Declare Your Independence.”
The announcement comes after RFK Jr. was met with sagging poll numbers among Democratic voters since helaunched his 2024 presidential campaignin April.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Cheryl Hines, wave to supporters after announcing his presidential campaign on April 19, 2023.Scott Eisen/Getty
Scott Eisen/Getty
Pundits have said that Kennedy could prove to be a “spoiler” candidate of sorts, as his party switch now threatens to pull votes away from both Democratic incumbentJoe Bidenand his likely Republican challenger,Donald Trump, in the 2024 election.
A recentReuters/Ipsos pollfound that, as an independent, Kennedy could draw the support of about one in seven U.S. voters of all party backgrounds.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Known for spoutingdebunked misinformationabout COVID-19 and vaccinations, RFK Jr. has in recent months made headlines forechoing antisemitic discoursethat Jews engineered and spread the COVID-19 virus.
The candidate has also drawn attention for butting heads with his own family members, many of whom are close with the Biden family.
In his own official campaign launch, RFK Jr. himself acknowledged that his family members have “long personal relationships” with President Biden.
“My whole family including myself have long personal relationships with President Biden … and many of themjust plain disagree with meon issues like censorship and war and public health,” Kennedy said at the time. “They are entitled to their beliefs…and I love them back.”
Kerry Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Mike Pont/Getty Images; John Lamparski/Getty Images
More recently,Jack Schlossberg— the grandson of JFK and son ofCaroline Kennedy—slammed him on Instagram, calling RFK Jr.’s candidacy “an embarrassment.”
Schlossberg, a 30-year-old attorney, made headlines for the video he posted in May, in which he says: “President John F. Kennedy is my grandfather and his legacy is important. It’s about a lot more thanCamelotandconspiracy theories. It’s about public service and courage. It’s about civil rights,the Cuban missile crisis, andlanding a man on the moon.”
source: people.com
