Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for president in 2024 as an independent candidate. On September 29, 2023, Mediaite reported that Kennedy was changing his campaign to run as an independent rather than as a Democrat.
On October 9, 2023, Kennedy confirmed these reports by formally announcing that he will be continuing his presidential bid as an independent candidate. Kennedy was reportedly ending his challenge to Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination. His move could upset the 2024 race for the White House.
“Voters should not be deceived by anyone who pretends to have conservative values,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung in a statement. He labeled Kennedy’s campaign “nothing more than a vanity project for a liberal Kennedy looking to cash in on his family’s name.”
The fiery response exposes the unknowns that lie in Kennedy’s long-anticipated decision to run as an independent. The move is likely to impact the 2024 race, which appears to be heading toward a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, but it’s still unclear exactly how.
Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous families in Democratic politics, was running a long-shot primary bid and holds better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. Even Trump just two weeks ago said of Kennedy, “I like him a lot. I’ve known him for a long time.”
Allies of both Biden and Trump have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their candidate. “The truth is, they’re both right,” Kennedy said onstage Monday to roaring applause. “My intention is to spoil it for both of them.”
Speaking Monday from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, where America’s founding documents were adopted, Kennedy made it clear he didn’t want to be affiliated with either party. He referenced a “rising tide of discontent” in the country. He said he wants to make a “new declaration of independence” — from corporations, the media and the two major political parties.
Hundreds of supporters who gathered for Kennedy’s remarks, holding signs that read “Declare your independence” and at times chanting “RFK, all the way!” were upbeat about his decision. An eclectic mix of disillusioned Democrats, Trump voters looking for a change, and political outsiders who say their ideas don’t square with any one party, they insisted that Kennedy could unify them all.
“He’s going to win,” said Peter Pantazis, a 40-year-old business owner from Lewes, Delaware. “I’ve been praying that he’s going to decentralize the campaign, get away from the party system and actually be the candidate of the people for the people. And that’s what he announced today.”
“The last couple years I’ve been noticing the Republican Party’s been going a way I didn’t like,” said Brent Snyder, a disabled veteran from south Philadelphia. “Not that I agree with everything that’s happening to Trump, but I think right now he has more baggage than his country needs. The division right now is just terrible. We need someone to bring both sides together to make us work.”
Joy, hope and the faint smell of marijuana hovered above the crowd as Kennedy spoke of John Adams’ unwavering support for his country and George Washington’s prescient warning that partisan politics would result in corruption.
Polls show far more Republicans than Democrats have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. He also has gained support from some far-right conservatives for his fringe views, including his vocal distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe disease and death.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
