More than a dozen Kennedy family members endorsed President Biden for reelection on Thursday, rejecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent effort, which detractors claim will help elect former President Trump.
Kerry Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s younger sister, spoke to a group of Biden supporters in Philadelphia, joined on stage by the president and other family members.
“In 2024, there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency,” she stated, referring to Biden and Trump while indirectly discounting her brother’s presidential candidacy.
“We want to make crystal clear our feeling that the best way forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years,” she said, accompanied by a placard that said “We’re on Board.”
Kennedy described how Biden’s program and political career have mirrored her father’s, emphasizing Biden’s support for union members, efforts to cut student loan debt, and emphasis on democracy.
“President Biden has been a champion for all the rights and freedoms that my father and uncles stood for,” she remarked.
“That is why Joe and Rose Kennedy’s grandchildren overwhelmingly support Joe Biden.” That’s correct: the Kennedy family supports Joe Biden for president,” she continued.
Fifteen Kennedy family members attended Thursday’s gathering, including Kerry Kennedy, Joe Kennedy II, Christopher Kennedy, Maxwell Kennedy, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, all of whom are Robert Kennedy Jr.’s siblings.
Joe Kennedy III, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nephew and the Biden administration’s envoy to Northern Ireland, was also in attendance.
At a grassroots organizing event, the president and members of the Kennedy family planned to participate in voter outreach activities like phone calls and door knocking.
Thursday’s endorsement was not surprising, given Kerry Kennedy and other family members’ efforts to separate themselves from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign.
Last month, Biden welcomed more than 30 members of the Kennedy family to the White House for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was not in attendance.
Kennedy Jr. acknowledged his political rival’s endorsements in a post on the social media site X on Thursday, comparing the difference among his family to the country’s political conflicts.
“I’ve heard that some of my family members will endorse President Biden today. I’m glad they are politically active; it’s a family tradition. “We are divided in our views but united in our love for one another,” Kennedy Jr. wrote.
“I believe this is possible for America, too,” he added. Can we differ without hating our opponents? Can we return civility and respect to public discourse? “I believe we can.
Kennedy Jr., an activist and lawyer, has suggested conspiracy theories about vaccines and expressed general suspicion about the government. He recently generated controversy with statements regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, as well as criticism for a Super Bowl ad that largely relied on the family name.
He is launching an independent White House campaign, asserting that former President Trump “failed” in his first term and is unfit for office.
Democrats have expressed fear that his candidacy could divert votes away from Biden in November and help Trump win a close contest. A pro-Trump superPAC recently established a website calling Kennedy Jr. a “radical liberal” and emphasizing his views on tax policy, gun restrictions, and the environment.
A New York Times/Siena College poll published Saturday found Trump with 46 percent support to Biden’s 45 percent, reducing the gap from February, when Trump had a 5-point edge.
A Decision Desk HQ average of national polling in a three-way contest between Biden, Trump, and Kennedy Jr. shows Trump leading Biden by less than one percentage point, with Kennedy Jr. polling at around 7%.
“I can only imagine how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who proudly served as Attorney General of the United States and honored his pledge to uphold the law and protect the country,” Kennedy told reporters on Thursday. “Daddy advocated for equal justice, human rights, and freedom from want and fear.” “Just like President Biden does today.”
