President Joe Biden’s reelection team is building a mass operation to take down third party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as it worries about the impact of the opponent’s race, Axios reported.
As RFK Jr. gears up to announce his running mate in the race for the White House, the president’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have dedicated a coalition of staffers whose purpose is to attempt to undermine Kennedy, according to Axios. Kennedy, who has garnered attention since entering the race, is polling better than any independent candidate since 1992, Axios reported. (RELATED: Forget Independent RFK — There’s A Bigger Threat To Joe Biden Already On The Campaign Trail, Strategists Say)
“Mr. Kennedy plans to take votes from both President Biden and former President Trump,” Stefanie Spear, press secretary for the Kennedy campaign, told Axios. “Of course the DNC is worried. Kennedy has the highest favorability among the candidates and outpaces Presidents Biden and Trump among independents.”
The Kennedy family has been critical of RFK Jr.’s run for president, the White House emphasized to Axios. The president was reportedly spotted in a photo with about 50 members of the Kennedy family at the White House to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
RFK Jr. snubbed from Kennedy Family White House visit on St. Patrick’s Day https://t.co/ZsSVw98GkB pic.twitter.com/ISyTdu4ZBO
— New York Post (@nypost) March 18, 2024
The DNC has previously argued, according to Axios, that RFK Jr. is a “stalking horse” for former President Donald Trump because he has the same megadonor, businessman Tim Mellon.
“We know the GOP is already working to prop up third-party candidates like Robert Kennedy Jr. to make them stalking horses for Donald Trump,” DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni told the outlet. “We’re going to make sure voters are educated and we’re going to make sure all candidates are playing by the rules.”
Allies of the president have previously made efforts to stunt third-party candidacies. The DNC created a team in March focused on communication strategy and opposition research to help combat third-party and independent candidates in 2024, NBC reported. The party then created a group of lawyers dedicated to monitor how independent candidates are seeking ballot access, according to The New York Times.