Topline
An anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer with a strong family dynasty at his back is standing head and shoulders above Joe Biden and Donald Trump in a new poll by The Economist and YouGov.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits “The Faulkner Focus”at Fox News Channel Studios on June 02, 2023 in New … [+]
Key Facts
Kennedy Jr. was viewed favorably by 49% of respondents and unfavorably by just 30%, leaving him with a net rating of 19 points–higher than any other candidate in the poll, which surveyed 1,500 adult respondents from June 10 to 13.
Biden had a -9 net favorability rating with 52% of respondents viewing him as somewhat or very unfavorable, and Trump had a -10 net rating with 53% viewing him unfavorably.
Other high-ranking candidates were entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who has pushed for a Trump pardon, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, both Republicans.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a favorability rating of -5 and former Vice President Mike Pence’s net rating was -17.
Big Number
20%. A CNN poll last month showed that about one-fifth of Democratic voters support Kennedy’s run for president.
Key Background
Kennedy Jr. in April announced he would challenge Biden for the 2023 Democratic nomination and has since gained unexpected traction as he continues to tout conspiracy theories surrounding mass shootings and the Covid-19 virus.Kennedy is the namesake son of assassinated former attorney general and 1968 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. He spent decades as a respected environmental lawyer before a public fall from grace over his anti-vaccine views and theories involving Dr. Anthony Fauci. Kennedy joins Biden and self-help author Marianne Williamson in the otherwise-empty Democratic primary field. Williamson had the lowest favorable response from the recent Economist and YouGov poll, with only 19% of people responding favorably.
Surprising Fact
A collection of tech moguls have gotten behind Kenney Jr. in recent weeks, including former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya and venture capitalist David Sacks.
Further Reading
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Teases GOP Presidential Run: Here’s The Full 2024 Primary List (Forbes)
RFK Jr. Makes Unfounded Claims About Mass Shootings, Covid-19: Here Are All The Conspiracies He Promotes (Forbes)
RFK Jr.’s presidential bid gains boost from Silicon Valley elite (CNBC)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/06/14/robert-f-kennedy-jr-tops-biden-trump-in-new-favorability-poll/