OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Donald Trump has finally spoken up about the independent presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was once rumored to be on the former president’s shortlist for running mates.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Friday night to rail at RFK Jr., saying that casting a ballot for him would be a “wasted protest vote” and that he’d “even take Biden over Junior.”
Politico noted: “The wild card independent, a thorn in the side of the Democratic Party for siphoning voters from President Joe Biden, has become a source of increasing anxiety for the GOP as he threatens to also pull votes away from Trump in November.”
On his Truth Social platform, Trump labeled RFK Jr. as a “Democrat ‘Plant'” deliberately positioned to assist Biden’s reelection campaign. He also aimed to highlight policy domains where Kennedy seemed to lean more toward the left.
“RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected,” Trump wrote. “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. Junior’ is totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist who makes the Green New Scammers look Conservative, a Big Time Taxer and Open Border Advocate, and Anti-Military/Vet…”
Politico added:
While his policy platforms vary across the board, Kennedy, formerly an environmental lawyer, stands firmly to Biden’s left on some environmental policies, such as calling for a permanent ban on natural gas exports — though he has also criticized the president’s clean energy subsidies. Kennedy’s seemingly green policies, as well as his historically Democratic-aligned last name, have made him a perceived threat to Biden’s ability to consolidate the party’s vote in the 2024 election.
But as more recent polls show, Kennedy is drawing voters more evenly away from both candidates, putting the GOP — and Trump — increasingly on the offensive.
According to a Quinnipiac poll of registered voters released Wednesday, support for Kennedy stands at 16 percent. Trump and Biden are tied at 37 percent each, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West both receive 3 percent support. The poll also indicates that more Republican voters hold a favorable opinion of RFK Jr. than Democrats do—44 percent of Republican voters view Kennedy favorably, compared to just 11 percent of Democrats, Politico reported, citing the data.
RFK Jr. announced in late March that he has chosen Nicole Shanahan, a 38-year-old lawyer and businesswoman, to serve as his 2024 running mate.
It did not take long for Trump and others to respond to the announcement.
“RFK Jr. is the most Radical Left Candidate in the race, by far. He’s a big fan of the Green New Scam, and other economy-killing disasters,” Trump said TRUTH. “I guess this would mean he is going to be taking votes from Crooked Joe Biden, which would be a great service to America.”
Trump continued: “His running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is even more ‘Liberal’ than him, if that’s possible. Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!! It’s great for MAGA, but the Communists will make it very hard for him to get on the Ballot. Expect him, and her, to be indicted any day now, probably for Environmental Fraud!”
“He is Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, not mine,” Trump added. “I love that he is running!”
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk shared the news on X, saying, “RFK’s VP choice, Nicole Shanahan, is a six-figure donor to… George Gascon, the pro-crime, Soros-backed prosecutor who helped wreck San Francisco and is currently wrecking LA. She also spent big on Measure J, a Los Angeles measure to reroute spending from law enforcement and prisons to “social services” and “mental health treatment” — in other words, not putting criminals and dangerous psychos behind bars.”
“This is a far-left pick by RFK, who is apparently looking to shore up his progressive bona fides. Major red flag for commonsense independents and centrist voters who are also sick of rising crime but intrigued by his campaign.”
