Dozens of former colleagues of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from an environmental advocacy group have called for him to drop out of the 2024 race, fearing that his campaign will help sweep Donald Trump back into office. Kennedy, who worked as a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council for nearly three decades, is being urged to “honor our planet” by withdrawing from the race. An ad placed in Sunday newspapers in battleground states such as Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin expresses this sentiment.
Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is currently polling in or near double digits and is the top third-party candidate challenging both Biden and Trump. This has caused concern among both rivals, who see Kennedy as a potential threat to steal their supporters in the November election. Kennedy himself has stated his intention to take votes away from both Trump and Biden, leading to concerns that he will be a “spoiler” in the race. The NRDC Action Fund has urged Kennedy to drop out of the race, citing Joe Biden as the real environmental candidate and urging Kennedy to avoid benefiting Trump with his campaign.
The ad targeting Kennedy’s campaign specifically mentions Trump’s support for him as someone who is “great for MAGA,” as well as the claims on Kennedy’s campaign website that suggest climate change is being used as a tool for control through fear. This has led to disappointment and betrayal among Kennedy’s former colleagues, who feel that the environmental credentials he once had are now being used to sell a dark and conspiratorial brand of politics. Despite Kennedy’s claims of being the best environmental president in American history, his views and actions have caused concern among those who once supported him in his environmental advocacy work.
The Kennedy campaign has faced criticism from various sources, with attacks coming from both Trump supporters and even some of Kennedy’s own family members. The Make America Great Again Inc. website has launched a page titled “Radical F-ing Kennedy” to outline his far-left policies, while over a dozen of Kennedy’s family members have endorsed Biden for re-election. This backlash against Kennedy’s campaign comes after his former colleagues at the NRDC Action Fund have urged him to drop out of the race to avoid potentially helping Trump be re-elected. Despite these criticisms, the Kennedy campaign has not yet responded to these calls for him to withdraw from the race.
Overall, the concerns surrounding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign stem from fears that his candidacy may inadvertently benefit Donald Trump in the upcoming election. Kennedy, once known for his environmental advocacy work, now faces scrutiny for his views and actions that are perceived as conspiratorial and dark. The NRDC Action Fund, as well as Kennedy’s former colleagues and even some of his family members, have called for him to drop out of the race to honor the planet and avoid the potential of bringing about another Trump administration. The outcome of Kennedy’s campaign and the impact it may have on the election remains a point of concern for both Democrats and Republicans as the 2024 race continues.
