PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥 Republicans attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday as the longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist launched an independent bid for the White House, reflecting growing concerns on the right that the former Democrat now threatens to take votes from former President Donald Trump in 2024.
The Republican 春色直播 Committee and Trump's campaign both took aim at Kennedy's liberal background while national Democrats stayed silent as Kennedy insisted in a speech in Philadelphia that he was leaving both political parties behind.
鈥淰oters should not be deceived by anyone who pretends to have conservative values,鈥 said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung in a statement. He labeled Kennedy's campaign 鈥渘othing more than a vanity project for a liberal Kennedy looking to cash in on his family鈥檚 name.鈥
The fiery response exposes the unknowns that lie in Kennedy's long-anticipated decision to run as an independent. The move is likely to impact the 2024 race, which appears to be heading toward a rematch between Trump and , but it's still unclear exactly how.
Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous families in Democratic politics, was running and holds better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. Even Trump just two weeks ago said of Kennedy, 鈥淚 like him a lot. I鈥檝e known him for a long time.鈥
Allies of both Biden and Trump have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their candidate.
鈥淭he truth is, they鈥檙e both right,鈥 Kennedy said onstage Monday to roaring applause. 鈥淢y intention is to spoil it for both of them.鈥
Speaking Monday from Philadelphia's Independence Mall, where America鈥檚 founding documents were adopted, Kennedy made it clear he didn鈥檛 want to be affiliated with either party. He referenced a 鈥渞ising tide of discontent鈥 in the country. He said he wants to make a 鈥渘ew declaration of independence鈥 鈥 from corporations, the media and the two major political parties.
Hundreds of supporters who gathered for Kennedy鈥檚 remarks, holding signs that read 鈥淒eclare your independence鈥 and at times chanting 鈥淩FK, all the way!鈥 were upbeat about his decision. An eclectic mix of disillusioned Democrats, Trump voters looking for a change, and political outsiders who say their ideas don鈥檛 square with any one party, they insisted that Kennedy could unify them all.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to win,鈥 said Peter Pantazis, a 40-year-old business owner from Lewes, Delaware. 鈥淚鈥檝e been praying that he鈥檚 going to decentralize the campaign, get away from the party system and actually be the candidate of the people for the people. And that鈥檚 what he announced today.鈥
鈥淭he last couple years I鈥檝e been noticing the Republican Party鈥檚 been going a way I didn鈥檛 like,鈥 said Brent Snyder, a disabled veteran from south Philadelphia. 鈥淣ot that I agree with everything that鈥檚 happening to Trump, but I think right now he has more baggage than his country needs. The division right now is just terrible. We need someone to bring both sides together to make us work.鈥
Joy, hope and the faint smell of marijuana hovered above the crowd as Kennedy spoke of John Adams' unwavering support for his country and George Washington's prescient warning that partisan politics would result in corruption.
Yet Kennedy's upstart campaign has a long way to go to compete with the funding, support and experience that the Trump and Biden campaigns enjoy. His announcement Monday was delayed briefly when he arrived onstage only to find his speech was loaded upside-down in the teleprompter.
Monday鈥檚 announcement comes less than a week after the progressive activist Cornel West in favor of an independent White House run. Meanwhile, the is actively securing ballot access for a yet-to-be-named candidate.
Aware of the risk that Kennedy could pull votes away from Republicans, Trump allies have begun circulating opposition research against Kennedy designed to damage his standing among would-be conservative supporters.
The Republican 春色直播 Committee published a fact sheet before Kennedy鈥檚 speech titled 鈥淩adical DEMOCRAT RFK Jr.鈥 that lists times he supported liberal politicians or ideas. The document also listed times he supported conspiracy theories about COVID-19 or 鈥渟tolen-election claims鈥 related to the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections that Democrats lost to President George W. Bush. Trump continues to promote that was the result of a stolen election.
Biden鈥檚 allies so far have dismissed Kennedy鈥檚 primary campaign as unserious. Asked for comment ahead of the announcement, a Democratic 春色直播 Committee spokesman responded with an eye roll emoji. The DNC declined to comment Monday.
Four of Kennedy's eight surviving siblings put out a joint statement denouncing his candidacy and saying his announcement saddened them.
鈥淭he decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country,鈥 it read. 鈥淏obby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment.鈥
Tony Lyons, co-founder and co-chairman of American Values 2024, the super PAC supporting Kennedy, dismissed those comments as 鈥減art of a strategy to discredit him.鈥
鈥淎t his family dinner tables they would disagree about everything, and that's what democracy looks like," Lyons said. 鈥淔amilies are allowed to disagree.鈥
While Kennedy has long and frequently invokes his late father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle President John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, he has built in recent years. He appeared on a channel run by the Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and headlined a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, the Christian nationalist road show put together by Trump鈥檚 former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Polls show far more Republicans than Democrats have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. He also has gained support from some far-right conservatives for his fringe views, including his vocal distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe disease and death.
Kennedy鈥檚 anti-vaccine organization, Children鈥檚 Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle Smith, and Will Weissert contributed to this report.
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