Environmental lawyer and prominent anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ended his primary challenge to President Biden, instead running as an independent. The move comes as Kennedy has been unable to make significant inroads in polls for the Democratic nominating process.
“I must declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party,” he said at a rally with supporters in Philadelphia. “And from all other political parties.”
In making the switch, Kennedy will try to appeal to voters who are frustrated with both Democrats and Republicans and the two-party system as a whole.
“People suspect that the divisions are deliberately orchestrated,” he said. “They’re fed up with being fooled and they’re ready to take back power.”
As The Hill’s Hanna Trudo reports, Kennedy has taken positions and floated conspiracy theories that many Democrats have repudiated, including on the efficacy of vaccines and parts of U.S. history like the assassinations of his uncle and father and the 9/11 attacks.
Both parties had largely ignored Kennedy’s candidacy over the months, leading him to criticize the Democratic National Committee for not holding debates with Biden.
But the Republican National Committee (RNC) was quick to slam him as “still a Democrat” following his announcement of his independent bid.
“RFK Jr. cannot hide from his record of endorsing Hillary [Clinton], supporting the Green New Deal, fighting against the Keystone Pipeline, and praising [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.)] tax hikes — he is your typical elitist liberal and voters won’t be fooled,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
Given that some of Kennedy’s positions seem to align with Republicans more than Democrats and polling shows he is more popular with Republicans, concerns are brewing that his independent run could take more votes away from the eventual Republican nominee.
Kennedy’s announcement comes after professor Cornel West switched his candidacy from running for the Green Party to running as an independent. West’s candidacy has raised concerns among Democrats that he could take votes away from Biden in a general election.
