Donald Trump and Joe Biden have each secured their party’s nomination for the 2024 presidential election.
The two candidates must not only contend with each other but also navigate a third-party challenge from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As a scion of a prominent political family, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign is drawing attention, even as his family shifts their focus to another candidate.
What Happened: Originally running as a Democratic candidate, Kennedy Jr. later said he would be running as a third-party candidate in the 2024 election.
The son of politician and lawyer Robert Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Jr. comes into the election with name brand recognition thanks to his family's history.
The family members of Kennedy Jr. have been critical of their relative before and are looking to step up their efforts in backing Biden instead of Kennedy Jr., according to a report from NBC Sports.
Multiple members of the Kennedy family have thrown their public support to Biden. Members of the family also recently gathered at the White House and shared a group photo with the president on social media.
"There was a point of having everybody there," a member of the Kennedy family said, as shared by NBC. "I think timing is everything."
To back Biden and counter Kennedy Jr.’s potential to divert votes, the renowned political family is gearing up to campaign for the 2024 election. Coincidentally, several members of the family plan on campaigning for Biden in the states that Kennedy Jr. qualified for the ballot.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni said. "It's telling that the people who know RFK Jr. best are standing with Joe Biden in this election."
Why It's Important: Several members of the Kennedy family spoke out when Kennedy Jr. declared his third-party bid.
Previously running as a Democratic candidate, some believe that Kennedy Jr. could steal votes away from Biden and help Trump win the election.
The Kennedy family has also been critical of RFK Jr. for his anti-vaccine stances and controversial opinions on healthcare and medicine.
Kennedy Jr. has downplayed the conflicts with his family.
"I disagree with my family on a lot of stuff. I have family members who strongly support me. There are 105 Kennedys," Kennedy Jr. said in an interview with NBC last month. "I think there's very few Americans whose families agree with them on every issue."
For the 2024 election, Biden and Trump have secured key endorsements from members of Congress and their respective political parties.
The people not endorsing candidates could become a bigger story, with former vice president Mike Pence choosing not to endorse Trump and members of Kennedy Jr.'s family not endorsing their relative.
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