Fox News host Sean Hannity confronted presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday about his decision to leave the Democratic Party and run for the White House as an independent.
“So I hope you don’t mind, but I did a little research on you. You’re pretty liberal,” Hannity told Kennedy as he appeared on his nightly program.
The host rattled off a list of left-leaning policies and positions that Kennedy has supported before noting “you’ve supported over the years Democrats — Gore, Kerry, Obama, Hillary. You praised Bernie Sanders multiple times. You support affirmative action.”
He then asked Kennedy directly: “So why is this party of yours … why didn’t they even want to allow you to compete, because that’s as pretty liberal of a record as anybody I know?”
“You have a litany of talking points from statements I’ve made over 40 years,” Kennedy replied. “Some of them are stale, some of them I never said, but you know, what is your question — why the Democratic Party … why I’m not running at the Democratic Party?”
“Why did they kick you out?” Hannity shot back, adding, “I’m not sure why the Democratic Party wouldn’t allow you to compete.”
“Do you want to read talking points from the Trump campaign?” the Democrat-turned independent responded.
“Excuse me. These are not talking points. These are called Hannity points,” the popular conservative media personality said. “I do my own research.”
Kennedy announced earlier this week that he would leave the Democratic Party and continue is bid for the White House as an independent after his primary challenge to President Biden failed to gain traction.
“I must declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party,” he said Monday. “And from all other political parties.”
He has come under fire from medical experts and others for years for controversial statements on vaccines, children’s health care and other issues.