PHILADELPHIA( AP) — Longtime environmental counsel andanti-vaccine activist RobertF. KennedyJr. said Monday he'll run for chairman as an independent and drop his Popular primary shot, adding a wrinkle to a 2024 race heading toward a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy, a member of one of the most notorious Popular families in politics, was running a long- shot primary shot and has better favorability conditions among Republicans than Egalitarians. It’s unclear whether GOP support would restate to a general election when Kennedy would also be running against Trump. Abettors of both Biden and Trump have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their seeker.
Biden’s abettors so far have dismissed Kennedy’s primary crusade as substantial. Asked for comment on his implicit independent run, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson responded with an eye roll emoji.
Awaiting Kennedy’s reflections Monday, hundreds of sympathizers gathered at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, an apt position for the launch. crusade signs teased a implicit new watchword “ Declare your independence ”
Among Kennedy’s suckers in the crowd were several choosers who said they do n’t identify as Popular or Democratic and view Kennedy as a verity teller and a breath of fresh air.
“ He tells it how it is, ” said Julia Hill, a 23- time-old pupil from New Jersey. “ He does n’t sound like a politician. ”
Other sympathizers, similar as Brent Snyder, a impaired stager from south Philadelphia, said they had suggested for Trump in the history but were looking for a change.
“ The last couple times I ’ve been noticing the Republican Party’s been going a way I did n’t like, ” Snyder said. “ Not that I agree with everything that’s passing to Trump, but I suppose right now he has further baggage than his country needs. The division right now is just terrible. We need someone to bring both sides together to make us work. ”
Monday’s advertisement comes lower than a week after the progressive activist Cornel West abandoned his Green Party shot in favor of an independent White House run. Meanwhile, the central group No Markers is laboriously securing ballot access for a yet- to-be-named seeker.
Kennedy has spent weeks criminating the DNC of “ apparel ” the party’s primary against him and hanging that he might need to consider druthers
.
In crusade emails and vids, he blasted the DNC’s decision not to host debates between Biden and other campaigners and reviled against the commission’s plan to give South Carolina rather than Iowa or New Hampshire the leadoff spot on the primary timetable this election cycle.
still, I ’m going to look at every option, ” he said in September at a New Hampshire regale held by Democratic former Sen, “ If they jam me. Scott Brown.
Far-right andanti-vaccine influencers close to Kennedy also have transferred strong signals on social media suggesting he should or will leave the Democratic Party. Last month, Joseph Mercola, an influentialanti-vaccine croaker
who's confederated with Kennedy, ran a bean on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking if Kennedy should quit the party.
While Kennedy has long linked as a Democrat and constantly invokes his late father,Sen. RobertF. Kennedy, and his uncle President JohnF. Kennedy on the crusade trail, he has erected close connections with far-right numbers in recent times. He appeared on a channel run by the Sandy Hook conspiracy philosopher Alex Jones and headlined a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, the Christian nationalist road show put together by Trump’s former public security counsel Michael Flynn.
pates show far more Republicans than Egalitarians have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. He also has gained support from some far-right rightists for his borderline views, including his oral mistrust of COVID- 19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe complaint and death.
Kennedy’santi-vaccine association, Children’s Health Defense, presently has a action pending against a number of news associations, among them The Associated Press, criminating them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID- 19 and COVID- 19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he blazoned his run for chairman but is listed as one of its attorneys in the action.