Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have dominated the polls and headlines for the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election.
Once predicted to be a two-man race, the election could see voters pick between three leading candidates with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announcing his change to a third-party candidate.
What Happened: Activist and lawyer Kennedy announced his campaign as a Democratic candidate for the 2024 election back in April.
Declaring the Democratic party corrupt and being upset that he could not face off against Biden in debates, Kennedy announced Monday that he will run as a third-party candidate for the 2024 election instead.
The move could take votes away from both Trump and Biden, with Kennedy polling well with GOP voters and also running as a Democrat previously and getting a portion of voter support.
Kennedy’s announcement drew criticism from several people closely involved with him and also has the Democratic and Republican parties questioning who stands to lose more votes.
“Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country,” Kennedy’s siblings Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend said in a statement.
Movie director and actor Rob Reiner took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the announcement.
“Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s announcement to run as an Independent is a dangerous and cynical move by wealthy Republicans to put Trump back in the WH (White House),” Reiner said.
Reiner said he talked to Kennedy and told him that this move could “destroy American Democracy.”
“He didn’t care.”
Reiner knows Cheryl Hines, who served as his assistant previously. Hines has been married to Kennedy since 2014.
The Republican National Committee issued a statement Monday that the move by Kennedy could hurt the election, as shared by the Washington Post. The statement called Kennedy “just another radical, far-left Democrat.”
“Make no mistake — a Democrat in Independent’s clothing is still a Democrat,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said. “He is your typical elitist liberal and voters won’t be fooled.”
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung also criticized Monday’s announcement.
“Voters should not be deceived by anyone who pretends to have conservative values,” Cheung said. “RFK candidacy is nothing more than a vanity project for a liberal Kennedy to cash in on his family’s name.”
Related Link: NFL's Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary For 2024 Presidential Election: Fellow Anti-Vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Why It’s Important: Kennedy has been controversial in the past given his anti-vaccine support during the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing many conspiracy theories.
Third-party candidates have not had much success in presidential elections in recent years. To qualify for a national debate with the Republican and Democratic candidates in the 2024 presidential election, Kennedy would have to get 15% support in national polls. A report from Politico highlights the 14% support Kennedy has received in several national election polls.
Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are the two frontrunners in the race for the GOP nomination, have previously supported Kennedy’s campaign when he was running as a Democrat. It will be interesting to see what new comments from the candidates show in the future.
Portions of Kennedy’s campaign platform appeal to both Republican and Democratic voters and his pro-Bitcoin BTC/USD support could also draw in more supporters.
In August, a poll from Morning Consult showed Kennedy’s favorability rating gaining among GOP voters, while his favorability declined among Democratic voters.
A poll of Democrat voters in September showed Biden leading the way with 76% of the vote and Kennedy ranking second with 9%, with Biden gaining support and Kennedy losing support from the previous poll.
Big names like Chamath Palihapitiya, Bill Ackman and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers have previously voiced support for Kennedy.
Ross Perot was the last third-party candidate to be a major challenger in the general presidential election. Perot received 18.9% of the vote in the 1992 presidential election, an election in which he qualified for the debate.
Perot also got 8.4% of the vote in the 1996 presidential election. Both the 1992 and 1996 elections were won by Bill Clinton, a Democratic governor, and it is believed Perot may have pulled Republican votes away.
Kennedy remains a popular option at sportsbooks, currently ranked tied for fourth place for the 2024 presidential election with odds of +1,400.
With the 2024 presidential election expected to be a rematch of the 2020 election that saw Biden defeat Trump, a well-known third-party candidate could change the dynamic of the race.
Read Next: Robert Kennedy Jr. Draws Wrath Of White House
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