Between 500 and 1,000 people had gathered in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the United States signed its Declaration of Independence in 1776.
“I declare my independence from the Democratic Party,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the stage, adding:
– It was not a decision I took lightly.
Kennedy will be the fifth in his family to stand in a presidential election, the most famous being his father, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, who were both assassinated in the 60s.
However, several of Kennedy’s family have distanced themselves from him after he was repeatedly criticized for promoting conspiracy theories, including about vaccinations. In an interview, he suggested, among other things, that the covid-19 virus was designed so that it would not hit Chinese and Jews as hard as others.
Can “steal votes”
As an independent candidate, Kennedy will now compete against both the Republican presidential candidate and against Joe Biden. Among Democrats there is great concern that this could become a nightmare for Biden, where Kennedy could “steal” votes from Joe Biden.
Right now, he is about as popular among Democrats as among Republicans. But with Kennedy’s family history, his relatively progressive politics and with Biden’s unpopularity, he is more likely to destroy the Democrats than the Republicans.
14 percent support today
A Reuters poll last week showed that when voters were forced to choose between Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump, who is leading the polls in the Republican primary, 31 percent would vote for Biden, 14% would vote for Kennedy, and 33% would vote for Trump.
– I intend to strip both parties of the reins of power and instead give them to the American people, Kennedy said.