In a recent event in Iowa, Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former President Donald Trump, expressed his strong criticism towards Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s independent campaign for the 2024 presidency, dismissing it as a strategy devised by the Democrats.
What Happened: As quoted by NBC News on Thursday, Trump Jr. told Trump campaign volunteers in Iowa that the Democrats orchestrated Kennedy’s campaign to sabotage his father’s campaign. He argued that Kennedy’s presence in the race was only at the Democrats’ behest.
“It legitimately always felt like it was a Democrat plant to hurt the Trump thing," said Trump Jr.
Despite being unable to gain momentum in the Democratic primary and being dismissed by the Democratic party, Kennedy initiated an independent campaign. The Trump campaign has since underscored his left-leaning policy stances.
Kennedy announced on Oct. 9 in Philadelphia, "I intend to wrest the reins of power from both parties and give to it the American people." His independent campaign has raised questions about whether it could hurt President Joe Biden or Donald Trump more if they secure their respective party’s nominations.
See Also: Confused Trump Lavishes Praise On Hungary’s PM Orban, But Mistakenly Calls Him ‘Leader Of Turkey’
Trump Jr. cautioned Trump supporters against being influenced by Kennedy’s well-known skepticism towards vaccines. He highlighted Kennedy’s positions on reparations, immigration, and guns, and declared, "Once you actually look at his voting record, you're like, no, he's just a liberal that is anti-vax.”
Trump Jr. underscored the need for the Trump campaign to clarify Kennedy’s positions to voters. He also commented on his father’s fine for violating a gag order in his New York fraud trial, labeling it “disgusting”.
Why It Matters: As per a Benzinga article, Kennedy, initially running as a Democrat, announced in October 2023 that he would be launching an independent campaign for the 2024 elections. His campaign has since generated significant discussion about who it could potentially harm more: Biden or Trump.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Kennedy could attract approximately 1 in 7 U.S. voters, thereby reducing the vote shares for both Biden and Trump. However, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll indicated that without Kennedy, Trump would narrowly lead Biden.
Photo by Gage Skidmore on Flickr.
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