RFK Jr. announces independent presidential campaign
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is ditching his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president and is instead launching an independent campaign, he announced Monday morning.
In a speech in Philadelphia, Kennedy decried the two-party system and offered a populist rallying call for his supporters, slamming Wall Street and the “cynical elites.”
“I’ve come here today to declare our independence from the journey of corruption which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future and our respect for each other,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy, who spoke from Independence Square, called for the creation of a new “declaration of independence” from “the corporations that have hijacked our government”; from Wall Street, “Big Tech” and “Big Pharma”; from the “mercenary media”; and from the two-party system.
“We declare independence from these corrupting powers because they’re incompatible with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Kennedy said.
A former environmental lawyer, Kennedy’s populist message has garnered support from both the political right and left. He has been accused of pushing disinformation related to vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health.
Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy, had earlier announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in April.
“I haven’t made this decision lightly. It’s very painful for me to let go of the party of my uncles, my father, my grandfather, and both of my great-grandfathers,” Kennedy said. “But my sacrifice is nothing compared to the risk our Founding Fathers took when they signed the Declaration of Independence 247 years ago.”
Kennedy has accused the Democratic National Committee of “rigging” the presidential race, saying it has worked to keep him off Democratic ballots. He has hinted at an independent candidacy for months.
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Republicans, meanwhile, have been working to distance themselves from Kennedy, portraying him as a far-left activist who supports affirmative action and the Green New Deal. On Monday morning, minutes before Kennedy’s announcement, the Republican National Committee released “23 Reasons to Oppose RFK Jr.,” claiming there is “very little daylight between RFK Jr. and a typical Democrat politician.” And the Trump campaign is working on a series of targeted attacks against Kennedy, Semafor reported.
“Make no mistake — a Democrat in independent’s clothing is still a Democrat,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Monday.
But not all conservatives are wary of his candidacy. The hard-right Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, announced that Kennedy would be speaking at their Investor Summit to Save America in Las Vegas later this month. Other speakers include Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, strategist Steve Bannon, and Utah Republicans Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Burgess Owens. And one of Kennedy’s largest donors is a former Trump backer and longtime Republican supporter.
Trump held a campaign event in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, at the same time as Kennedy’s speech.
In July, Kennedy met with Libertarian Party Chairwoman Angela McArdle, CNN reported. McArdle said she has not heard “anything official or unofficial” about his potential candidacy on her party’s ticket since.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll last week, about 1 in 7 U.S. voters say they’d vote for Kennedy. In a hypothetical three-way matchup between Kennedy, Biden and Trump, Kennedy garnered 14% support, with Trump at 31% and Biden at 35%. A previous poll, commissioned by a pro-RFK Jr. super PAC, showed Kennedy at 19% and Biden and Trump tied at 38%.
During his Monday speech, Kennedy insisted that an independent candidate could win the general election, saying that a “majority” of Americans want a candidate who is not beholden to either party.
“You can be pro-choice, and not think that pro-lifers are women-hating zealots,” he said. “You can support the Second Amendment and not think that Gun Control Act advocates are totalitarians who hate freedom.
“This is what I mean: Independence is more than being independent of two existing parties. It’s also independence from tribal thinking,” he continued.
