Topline
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a member of the Kennedy political dynasty who has been forced to the societal fringes recently over his anti-vaccine stance—is challenging President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, but the campaign appears likely to be more of a stunt than an actual effort to oust the president given Kennedy’s niche views.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, speaks on August 29, 2020 in … [+]
Key Facts
Kennedy, the namesake son of assassinated former attorney general and 1968 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.
Kennedy was long respected as an accomplished attorney who defended environmental causes, but he’s suffered a public fall from grace over the past few years as one of the most visible and outspoken anti-vaccine activists.
His anti-vaccine views have been amplified lately by unfounded views that Covid-19 vaccines are dangerous and his embrace of conspiracy theories involving Dr. Anthony Fauci—popular ideas in online right-wing communities.
Kennedy hasn’t appeared as a candidate in any major 2024 Democratic primary polls.
Key Background
Kennedy joins what for now is an almost empty 2024 Democratic primary field, since Biden has not formally launched a 2024 campaign—though he has insisted for years that he plans to run for a second term. The only other Democratic candidate with any tangible name recognition to announce a campaign so far is Marianne Williamson, who gained notoriety in 2020 Democratic primary debates for her bizarre statements regarding supernatural forces, but her social media stardom only translated to about 20,000 of the nearly 37 million votes cast in the Democratic primaries.
What To Watch For
Polling suggests most Democrats do not want Biden to run for reelection, primarily due to his age—at 80, Biden is the first octogenarian president—though Democratic officials largely appear ready to support a reelection campaign as no major alternatives have emerged so far. But Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has been a constant thorn in the side of Biden and congressional Democrats throughout his presidency for thwarting parts of their legislative agenda, told Meet the Press this weekend he is not ruling out running for president in 2024, saying he will make his decision at “the end of the year.”
Further Reading
Biden Lays Groundwork For 2024 Run: Courts Firefighters’ Union Ahead Of California Fundraising Trip (Forbes)
Biden Says He Plans To Run For Reelection In 2024 (Forbes)
Sen. Joe Manchin says he won’t decide on 2024 plans until ‘the end of the year’ (NBC News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/05/rfk-jr-challenging-biden-for-democratic-nomination-but-anti-vaccine-activist-has-little-chance/