Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy did not commit to supporting President Biden when asked during a News Nation town hall on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Kennedy told News Nation’s Elizabeth Vargas when asked whether or not he would support Biden in the general election. “Let’s see what happens in this campaign. Let’s see what – if people are living up to democratic values and having debates and having discussions and, you know, talking to each other, but I’m not going to bite.”
Kennedy also had praise for former President Trump, telling Vargas that he was “proud” that the former president likes him.
The two instances are examples of how Kennedy appears to be walking a very fine line between Republicans and Democrats. The Hill’s Hanna Trudo details how Republicans have viewed Kennedy as a useful weapon against Biden.
“Kennedy’s quick climb in polls has intrigued Republicans for a number of reasons. For one, he appeals to a faction of the right that likes to buck things such as vaccine mandates and raise questions about the pharmaceutical industry writ large. They also like that he has cast skepticism on government agencies and the media,” Trudo writes.
However, Kennedy has an incredibly long way to go before he can pose any kind of serious threat to Biden’s candidacy. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Biden leading with 64 percent support, while Kennedy trails at 14.4 percent support. Marianne Williamson comes in at 5.7 percent in the average.
But even in New Hampshire, where Kennedy supporters say he has the best shot of having a decent showing, he significantly trails Biden. A survey from Saint Anselm College showed Biden with 68 percent in the state. Kennedy, on the other hand, only garnered nine percent support, while Williamson got eight percent support. For Kennedy, that is a 59 point difference.
