Politics

Biden World Wants The Media To Destroy Robert F. Kennedy Jr

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Diana Glebova White House Correspondent
Font Size:

President Joe Biden’s team is reportedly hoping the media will paint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a negative light to turn Democrats off from voting for him.

Kennedy is currently the number-two Democrat in the 2024 presidential race, in some cases polling as high as 20 percent. People close to the Biden campaign hope Kennedy will largely be ignored, but are also optimistic about how media coverage will affect the political scion’s campaign, Politico reported Tuesday.

Biden world is riding on the press informing the public that many of Kennedy’s views are out of step with the party, one Democratic strategist told the outlet.

Once the press reports on Kennedy, voters will “realize he’s running in the wrong party,” the strategist said. (RELATED: RFK Jr. Supporters Like His ‘Kennedy Name’ More Than His Policies: POLL)

“Even the slightest press scrutiny is his biggest problem,” one Biden 2020 campaign official told Politico. “When Democrats see a candidate is anti-vaccination, anti-assault weapons ban, and a quasi 2020 election denier, their first thought is that this person must be a MAGA Republican.”

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 05: Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks as Michael Smerconish hosts a SiriusXM Town Hall with Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at The Centre Theater on June 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

A former Biden White House official and campaign aide said ignoring Kennedy is smart, but also argued that someone should pay “attention” to him.

“It is a distraction, no doubt,” the source told Politico. “And some could say just ignore it, which is how I would feel about it. At the same time, you’ve got to make sure that somebody is paying attention to it and pushing back.”

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is not planning to host any policy debates, given that Biden is an incumbent.

“Mr. Kennedy believes the American people want and deserve debates. He continues to ask President Biden to join in free and open discussion of those range of important matters which concern all Americans,” Kennedy’s campaign previously told the Caller.

Kennedy’s campaign and the White House did not immediately respond to inquiries from the Caller.