Democrats ramp up attacks on RFK Jr.: ‘He should be ashamed of himself’

Democrats have stepped up their criticism of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he announced Tuesday that he would choose Nicole Shanahan as vice president, arguing that the pairing would benefit former President Trump. ing.

Supporters of Mr. Kennedy say the selection of Mr. Shanahan, a philanthropist and patent attorney, will raise campaign buzz in the run-up to the general election, and that independents will need a running mate to qualify for the race. It also says it will allow some states to check the required boxes. their ballots.

However, many pro-Biden figures within the party criticized Kennedy as a “spoiler” fueled by Republican money and conspiracy theories immediately after announcing his vice presidential candidate in Oakland, California, and strongly criticized the presidential election. I’m blaming.

“I’m personally angry and just disgusted with his campaign,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said on a conference call hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Stated. “He should be ashamed of himself. He should stop running for president.”

Democrats ignored Kennedy for much of the 2024 presidential campaign, assuming he had no chance of winning the White House. Biden’s poll numbers are dangerous for the incumbent, but many of his supporters are avoiding chasing Kennedy in favor of focusing entirely on Trump.

But that indifference toward Kennedy has turned to anguish and anger in recent weeks. As both parties’ primaries hint at a rematch between Biden and Trump, Democrats look closer at third-party candidates who could have an unpredictable and potentially detrimental outcome for their campaign in November. I started considering it.

The Democratic National Committee, tasked with enabling Biden’s second victory, has been preoccupied with Kennedy in recent weeks, weakening his campaign and making him useful to President Trump. They are allocating resources to portraying the government as a means of re-election. Immediately after Kennedy announced his candidacy for Shanahan, the Democratic National Committee held a conference call with Democratic elected officials from battleground states to discuss how Kennedy’s bid would affect Biden’s chances of defeating Trump for the second time. warned of the possibility of giving.

“He’s a spoiler,” Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said in a phone conversation. “He was called into this campaign by some of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters.”

“He has no realistic path to winning in Pennsylvania,” he added.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holds a campaign event with voters on August 30, 2023 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)

Democrats often sought to link Mr. Kennedy’s campaign to Republicans aligned with Mr. Trump. Kennedy himself shares ideological territory with the MAGA movement, particularly when it comes to vaccines and criticism of the traditional medical and scientific establishment.

Shortly before Shanahan’s announcement, a super PAC aimed at supporting Biden launched a website called rfkjrfacts.com. The site features a composite image of Kennedy and Trump with people around the former president, including right-wing ally Steve Bannon.

“RFK Jr. is a MAGA-backed candidate who is funded by billionaires to help Donald Trump get re-elected,” the landing page says. “RFK Jr.’s platform is extremely dangerous. He has spread conspiracy theories that divide our country, made millions of dollars in opposition to vaccines, and has a history of anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-Semitic comments. be.”

A super PAC called Clear Choice has also released new ads aimed at showing its ties to Trumpism, including a video of President Kennedy saying he is “proud” that President Trump “likes” him. was published.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan will only have one chance to see inside the Oval Office,” said Matt Bennett, executive vice president of communications for the Democratic Party Group. “If you invite them,” he said. A third way, it said in a statement.

As news broke that Kennedy planned to share his running mate on March 26, Biden supporters publicly warned about how Kennedy could undermine the president on election day. I started doing it. Just a few thousand votes in key states could make or break what is expected to be a close election, and Democrats faced challenges in 2016 when their party’s efforts were hampered by third-party candidates such as Green Party candidate Jill Stein. I have seen it happen with my own eyes.

Chris Devine is the co-author of the book “Do runningmates matter?” Mr. Shanahan, who studies third-party campaigns, said the relatively unknown Mr. Shanahan “is not a pick that bodes well for his campaign.”

“This was an opportunity for him to prove he can put together an experienced team with broad appeal, and he hasn’t been able to do that yet,” Devine said.

Pro-Trump Republicans have also criticized Kennedy over concerns that an independent candidate would steal support from former President Kennedy.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a far-left radical who supports reparations, supports the Green New Deal, and wants to ban fracking. No wonder he does that. Leftists choose Biden donors as the president’s running mate,” Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesperson for Make America Great Again, a pro-Trump super PAC, said in a statement shortly after Kennedy’s announcement Tuesday.

President Kennedy’s relatively large support for secessionists has drawn similar criticism from allies of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump. Opinion polls show that Mr. Biden has been performing in low to mid-double digits during the campaign, and he is gaining traction not only among independents but also among some young voters and people of color who are struggling with Mr. Biden. It is once again attracting attention from voters.

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right, waves on stage after announcing Nicole Shanahan as his running mate during a campaign event on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Oakland, California.

Kennedy attracted attention in several battleground states, garnering enough signatures to compete in New Hampshire, Utah, Hawaii and other states. The pro-Kennedy super PAC American Values ​​said it also has enough supporters in Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina and Arizona.Recent NBC News Poll It was revealed that 34 percent of registered voters said they were likely to support Kennedy this term.

The addition of Shanahan, 38, who President Kennedy called a “brilliant scientist” and “fierce warrior mom” at a launch event, will lead to a lengthy signature-gathering effort in the coming months at the request of each state. You will be able to get started. A perfect ticket to count.

One of Kennedy’s biggest challenges is the current lack of funding. It costs a lot of money to fund a major presidential campaign, and it costs even more for secessionists, who have to take the additional step of petitioning their names. Some people close to Kennedy acknowledge the challenges, but there is optimism among his supporters that Mr. Shanahan may be able to inject cash to win more votes. There is another way to look at it.

President Kennedy said one of the reasons he chose Shanahan was her ability to “identify abuse within the government.” He also said she had “overcome tough challenges” and “overcome every difficult obstacle” to achieve the “American Dream.”

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Shanahan, now the ex-wife of billionaire and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, could go a long way in helping Kennedy compete financially with Democratic and Republican candidates. The reality is that the Democratic Party is hoping for this in its attack strategy.

Kennedy’s campaign raised $3.2 million in February, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), a number significantly lower than his two rivals. The FEC report says he has just over $5 million in cash on hand, but that is unlikely to cover the entire multi-state ballot access plan.

Still, Democrats worry that Mr. Shanahan’s surge in funding could move Mr. Kennedy closer to winning enough votes in key battleground states that will decide the election.

Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow said, “The fact that he’s in the race means it’s more likely that Donald Trump will become president again.” He described the campaign as “horrible.”

“We cannot afford to go back,” she said.