RFK Jr. drops Democratic presidential bid, re-enters 2024 race as independent

WASHINGTON — Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he is dropping his Democratic bid for president and re-entering the 2024 race for the White House as an independent.

Kennedy, an heir to the storied political family, said Monday he will no longer be running as a Democratic candidate, instead opting to pursue an independent bid for president.

"I'm here to declare myself an independent candidate for president of the United States," he told a crowd of supporters in Philadelphia. "And that's not all − I'm here to join you in making a new Declaration of Independence for our entire nation."

Kennedy during his speech on Monday criticized swaths of the economy and American political system, saying his campaign will declare independence from corporations, Wall Street, technology and pharmaceutical companies, military contractors and the "mercenary media." He also called the traditional two-party system in the United States "rigged" for voters.

Kennedy said he didn't make the decision to run as an independent lightly, saying that it's painful for him to let go of his family's longtime party.

"I've come here today to declare our independence from the tyranny of corruption, which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future and our respect for each other," he said. "But to do that, I must first declare my own independence, independence from the Democratic Party and from all other political parties."

The move makes Kennedy the second major third-party candidate running for president in 2024, alongside Cornel West, a progressive activist and scholar.

Kennedy, the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, both assassinated in the 1960s, has campaigned on a platform of fighting for the "liberties guaranteed by the Constitution."

Kennedy's sister, Kerry Kennedy, called her brother's announcement "deeply saddening" in a post on X, formerly Twitter. She added "we denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country" and tagged her siblings: Rory Kennedy, Joe Kennedy and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

"The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country," she wrote. "Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment."

Kennedy has had to defend many of his own claims, specifically around debunked views that vaccines are linked to autism. Vaccines do not cause autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Kennedy: 'This time, the independent is going to win'

Kennedy referenced the unsuccessful campaigns of prior independent candidates, but argued that his would be different.

"This time it's going to be different because this time the independent is going to win," he said.

Kennedy spoke about young voters during his Monday speech and said they have have become repelled by toxicity and dishonesty in politics.

"I'm happy to say that the old political alignments are dissolving," he said. "The right and the left have become all mixed up anyhow," he said.

He also claimed that if he wins the White House on an independent ticket, he'll be "independent" of political forces other than voters.

For example, he vowed that he would pursue foreign policy focused on peace and diplomacy because he will be independent of military contractors, the private companies that do business with U.S. officials.

A 2024 shakeup for Trump and Biden

Kennedy's departure from the Democratic Party could shake things up in the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

"They say my impact is only going to draw votes from the other candidates. The Democrats are frightened that I'm going to spoil the election for President Biden and the Republicans are frightened that I'm going to spoil it for President Trump," Kennedy said in Philadelphia Monday. "The truth is, they're both right. My intention is to spoil it for both of them."

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from Oct. 6., Biden and Trump are essentially tied at 35% in a hypothetical matchup that would include Kennedy running as an independent candidate. Kennedy polled at 14%, according to the survey.

When Kennedy was running as a Democratic candidate, skeptics said his platform crossed the political spectrum, ranging from that of a “Kennedy Democrat” to issues that resonate with the right and could potentially pull voters away from Trump.

The now-independent candidate struggled to label himself when USA TODAY asked him where he falls on the political spectrum earlier this year.

“I think the party definitions are so topsy-turvy right now, I wouldn’t know how to describe myself,” he told USA TODAY. “I would describe myself as a liberal Democrat, which means I’m for civil liberties, I’m against war, I’m against corporate domination, I’m against censorship. But I don’t know now − those are kind of Republican issues now, strangely.”

And Kennedy has made an effort to reach to the right. He is scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Las Vegas later this month, alongside other Republican figures.

Kennedy told USA TODAY earlier this year part of his campaign strategy is to reach all supporters − even those registered to the opposite party. He found endorsements and airtime with celebrities including Comedian Rob Schneider, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, actress Alicia Silverstone, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and the ultra-conservative InfoWars host Alex Jones.

Joe Rogan, a talk show host who has been critical of the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines and hosted Kennedy on his show to discuss vaccines. Kennedy in June participated with Elon Musk in a Twitter Space.

Support for a third party presidential candidate has increased, according to an Oct. 4 Gallup poll, which found 63% of U.S. adults agree that a third major party is needed and the Republican and Democratic parties do "such a poor job" representing Americans. It marks a 7-point increase from one year ago.

Some Trump allies are also supporting Kennedy. That includes former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who dedicated an episode of his Twitter show to Kennedy. Steve Bannon, a former senior aide in Trump's White House, applauded Kennedy on his War Room podcast in April.

More: 'Raised to argue': Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his 2024 campaign is 'largely misunderstood'

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. launches 3rd party independent bid in 2024 presidential race