Donald Trump Jr. called Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “Democrat plant” after the presidential candidate left the Democratic primary to run for president as an independent.
Speaking in front of Trump campaign volunteers in Iowa, Trump Jr. said that Kennedy Jr.’s switch to independent could potentially hurt the election chances of his father, former President Donald Trump.
“It legitimately always felt like it was a Democrat plant to hurt the Trump thing,” he said. “He wouldn’t be there if the Democrats didn’t want him.”
“He should be much more of a threat to Joe Biden than to us,” the former president’s son continued. “Once you actually look at his voting record, you’re like, no, he’s just a liberal that is anti-vax. … Being anti-vax, I don’t think that’s enough.”
Kennedy Jr.’s long-shot primary bid against President Joe Biden was largely disregarded by the Democratic Party.Early polls, however, show that he would actually steal more votes from Trump than Biden, benefiting the incumbent instead.
The lawyer-turned-politician also centered his campaign on a rejection of the two-party system, distrust in government, and skepticism of COVID-19, all of which could appeal to voters who otherwise would vote for Trump.
Even Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is also running for president next year, acknowledged that Kennedy Jr. could hurt Trump.
“You have another wrinkle now with RFK Jr. as a third party,” DeSantis said at a stop in New Hampshire last month. “RFK Jr. will be a vessel for anti-lockdown and anti-Fauci voters if Trump is the nominee.”
This comes after Kennedy Jr. recently announced that he was switching from a Democrat to an independent in his bid for the White House.
“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for president of the United States,” Kennedy Jr. said at the time. “We declare independence from the cynical elites who betray our hope and who amplify our divisions. And finally, we declare independence from the two political parties.”
Kennedy Jr. is an up-and-coming presidential candidate whose family name is almost synonymous with the Democratic Party. He could also potentially go against President Joe Biden, as the former environmental justice lawyer has proven himself to be an effective fundraiser in the race.
