Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his independent candidacy for president soon after initially running for the office as a Democrat.
“People stop me everywhere, in airports and hotels and on the street. And they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change … I’m here today to declare myself an independent candidate,” Kennedy said, as reported by Reuters.
"We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government." RFK Jr. announces independent run for President. pic.twitter.com/6ks0LJLU5l
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) October 9, 2023
In a recent video, Kennedy said there is corruption “in the leadership of both political parties,” adding that he wants to “rewrite the assumptions and change the habits of American politics.” The video was released shortly after Mediaite published a piece hinting that Kennedy would launch an independent bid for president.
Kennedy and the Democratic Party have been splitting for a while now, given the fact that Kennedy is at odds with liberals on the COVID-19 vaccine. He has also not been afraid to go after the Biden administration where he sees fit.
Kennedy has repeatedly accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of “rigging the party’s primary against him. In campaign emails, he slammed the DNC’s decision not to conduct debates between Biden and other candidates which, of course, is the DNC’s way of shielding Biden’s cognitive deficiencies from the public.
“If they jam me, I’m going to look at every option,” Kennedy said in September 2023, while attending a New Hampshire barbecue held by former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA).
Interestingly, although Kennedy does share some liberal ideas, he has had a close relationship with multiple conservative figures throughout recent years.
He appeared on a channel run by conservative commentator Alex Jones and headlines a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, which is a roadshow put together by Christians, including former national security adviser for then-President Donald Trump, Michael Flynn, as reported by Newsmax.
Polls have indicated that Kennedy stands in the good graces of Republicans, while Democrats view him unfavorably. Given his views on the COVID-19 vaccine, conservatives have grown fond of Kennedy.
Notably, Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit against The Associated Press (AP), which it accused of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and vaccines, according to Newsmax.
