Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s independent bid for president isn’t just a threat to President Biden. The former Democrat is courting Republicans, too, and his efforts are beginning to rankle the Trump campaign.
Mr. Kennedy, a longtime liberal Democrat who became an independent in October, is making a play for conservatives, appearing regularly on Fox News and other right-leaning television shows and podcasts.
He attacked Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump for running up the nation’s massive debt, and said while he would lose in a three-way race, a poll conducted by Zogby shows he can win in November in a head-to-head matchup.
“If I go head-to-head with either of them, I win,” Mr. Kennedy said on Fox News.
On Tuesday, he challenged Mr. Trump to a debate at the two-day Libertarian Party Convention that opens in Washington on May 24. Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Kennedy are slated to attend.
“It’s perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters,” Mr. Kennedy dared Mr. Trump in a post on X. “You yourself have said you’re not afraid to debate me as long as my poll numbers are decent. Well, they are. In fact, I’m the only presidential candidate in history who has polled ahead of both major party candidates in head-to-head races.”
Mr. Kennedy‘s agenda includes a bevy of liberal initiatives, including raising corporate taxes, hiking the minimum wage and promoting unions, which make him an attractive alternative to the many Democratic voters who think the president is too old or has done a poor job running the country.
But Mr. Kennedy‘s criticism of the COVID-19 vaccine and his pledge to stop spending on overseas wars and to close the southern border are among a handful of policy positions that have also caught the interest of GOP voters and independents, particularly those who want an alternative to Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden.
Polls show Mr. Kennedy drawing support away from both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, making him a wild card in critical battleground states, where he plans to make it onto every ballot.
A Suffolk University poll released Monday showed Mr. Kennedy drawing 8% of support among registered voters, while Mr. Trump was left with less than a half-percent lead over Mr. Biden.
Mr. Kennedy‘s supporters self-define as 13% liberal, 55% moderate, and 27% conservative, according to the poll.
“By that metric alone, one would think RFK draws more conservative voters away from Trump,” Mr. Paleologos said.
But Mr. Kennedy‘s supporters also include 14% Hispanic voters, 13% young voters, and 14% independent voters.
“Overall RFK voters tend to be more moderate and conservative, but in the categories RFK really does well in, he tends to hurt Biden, especially among young voters and Hispanics,” he said.
Pollsters say they aren’t sure whether Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden ultimately lose more votes to Mr. Kennedy, but Republicans, and the former president, are worried.
On his social media site, Mr. Trump called Mr. Kennedy “a Democrat ‘Plant,’” who is running to help Mr. Biden win and he criticized Fox News for giving Mr. Kennedy a platform.
“A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a WASTED PROTEST VOTE, that could swing either way, but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.
Mr. Kennedy, an environmental activist and prominent skeptic of vaccinations and pharmaceuticals, is running on restoring the middle class by ending illegal immigration halting U.S. spending on overseas wars and raising corporate taxes.
He’s making steady progress in getting onto state ballots, in some cases by joining an existing third party that already has access.
In Michigan, a critical battleground state, Mr. Kennedy got onto the ballot in April after being nominated by the Natural Law Party, one of five minor parties in the state that qualify to nominate a presidential candidate.
Mr. Kennedy polls at 5% in Michigan, according to a recent Emerson College survey, and he appears cut equally into Mr. Biden‘s and Mr. Trump’s vote.
Emerson pollsters found Mr. Trump leading Mr. Biden by 1% in a head-to-head matchup. When Mr. Kennedy is factored in, each candidate loses 2% of their support, and Mr. Trump maintains a 1-point lead.
Michigan State University political science professor Matthew Grossmann said support for third-party and independent candidates typically declines as the election nears, but Mr. Kennedy‘s support is substantial.
“He’s potentially drawing some from anti-institutional and anti-vaccine potential Trump supporters, and some from traditional Democrats upset with Biden. It’s a protest vote at the moment,” Mr. Grossmann said.
The Trump campaign has been highlighting past statements by Mr. Kennedy showing his allegiance to ultra-left positions, including big tax increases, eliminating fossil fuels and calling the NRA a terrorist organization.
“Despite the dreams of the liberal echo chamber, Kennedy is an existential threat to Joe Biden, not President Trump,” Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes told The Washington Times. “That’s why Biden and his liberal cronies are desperately fighting to keep Kennedy off the ballot in several states.”