Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential ambition may have earned him national attention — especially given the threat Democrats believe he poses to President Joe Biden’s reelection — but it certainly hasn’t endeared him to his entire family.
On Thursday, 15 Kennedy family members — including six of RFK Jr.’s 10 siblings — showed their support. – Biden publicly during a campaign event with the president in Philadelphia.
The approval is not surprising. Most members of the American political dynasty not only kept Kennedy’s campaign at bay but also actively opposed it. (Family members had also publicly criticized Kennedy’s conspiratorial views on vaccines long before he launched his presidential bid.) The day Kennedy announced he would run as an independent candidate, after initially running as a Democrat, four of his brothers and sisters released a statement he denounced his third-party candidacy, calling it “dangerous” for the country.
“Bobby may have the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment,” they wrote.
Joseph Kennedy III, a former member of Congress who now serves as Biden’s special envoy to Northern Ireland, told NBC News that the family’s support for Biden brought up “challenging” feelings, but “it’s something that we feel it has to be done.”
Kennedy’s campaign appears to be running into unexpected corners, but how much understanding some of his supporters have of his qualifications is questionable. Prior to the Kennedy family’s endorsement of Biden, RFK Jr.’s campaign announced. indicated that he had gained access to the Michigan elections through a nomination from the Natural Law Party. Party Chairman Doug Dern called Kennedy – who has never served in elected office and is known for his affinity for conspiracy theories – “the most qualified candidate in the modern history of America.”
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
