A super PAC backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president ran a Super Bowl ad Sunday supporting independent candidates, an unexpected move for the long-running campaign.
American Values 2024 focused on former President John F. Kennedy’s legacy with a 30-second spot that repeated clips, slogans, and images from his 1960 presidential campaign.
The spot, which ran just before the much-anticipated halftime show, sparked a frenzy on social media and became the first political ad during a big game broadcast.
The ad cost $7 million, PAC co-chairman Tony Lyons confirmed to The Hill.
“The panicked D.C. power brokers are trying to keep Mr. Kennedy out of the vote because they know he can and will end their culture of greed and corruption. They are working overtime. They bring us soaring inflation, eternal war, and chronic disease,” Lyons said in a statement to The Hill.
“RFK Jr. gives us real change with freedom, trust and hope,” he continued. “Like his uncle and his father, Kennedy is a fighter against corruption, and it’s no wonder.” [Democratic National Committee] Trying all the old tricks and inventing new ones to stop him. The public sees through it all and won’t tolerate it. ”
Kennedy started his presidential campaign as a Democrat, but switched to running as an independent in October, reportedly expressing interest in the Libertarian Party line. His unconventional anti-establishment campaign attracted a small but unique bipartisan coalition of voters.
Search the web for “RFK” skyrocketed According to Google Trends, candidates were searched 100 times more than average for terms related to candidates after the ad aired.
The Biden campaign and Democrats have largely ignored Kennedy’s bid so far. His potential impact on the general election is generally unknown, but polls suggest he could draw votes from both Biden and former President Trump in a three-way race.
American Values 2024 is under legal scrutiny for possible coordination with Kennedy’s campaign. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) filed a complaint against the PAC on Friday, accusing Kennedy of receiving unfair benefits from the organization.
“Rather than solving this problem by raising the necessary funds under federal law, Mr. Kennedy and his campaign are taking a shortcut by having American Values 2024 perform this campaign function on their behalf. ” the complaint states. “Simply put, in order to qualify to vote under state law, American Values 2024 must coordinate its activities with Mr. Kennedy and his campaign in a manner that violates federal campaign finance law.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), President Kennedy criticized the DNC’s claims and claimed that the Democratic Party was in decline.
“After yesterday’s day, it’s understandable that they would want to focus on someone else,” Kennedy wrote in a post Friday. “The DNC is in no position to claim morality against anyone. They have refused to hold primaries and have worked against the will of the people in the past few elections. The party my family built has collapsed. It’s sad to see it go up in flames.”
Contributed by Philip Timotija.
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