Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Will Run as an Independent in 2024 Election
Update, 10/9/23: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced today he will run as an independent, withdrawing his Democratic primary bid. Read the original story on his announcement of his campaign for president, below.
Original, 4/19/23: Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy, Jr., a nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, announced today he will be running for president in 2024.
"I've come here today to announce my candidacy for Democratic nomination for President of the United States," Kennedy said in Boston during a launch event. "My mission over the next 18 months of this campaign, and throughout my presidency, will be to end the corrupt merger of state and corporate power that is threatening now to impose a new kind of corporate feudalism on our country."
In recent years, Kennedy has made headlines for his anti-vaccine activism, suggesting, among other comments, that COVID vaccine mandates were worse than the Holocaust, and that Dr. Anthony Fauci was part of a "historic coup d’etat against Western democracy." He also leads an anti-vaccine charity, Children's Health Defense. Of what he calls his vaccine "skepticism," he told T&C, "I lost a lot of friendships and business relationships and collaborators and partners and allies. But I’m at peace, because I think this is the most important battle of our age." He was banned from Facebook and Instagram for sharing false claims about COVID and vaccines.
Kennedy's family members have publicly critiqued him. "I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, and the role of social media platforms in policing false information," his sister, Kerry Kennedy, said in a statement. Another sister, Rory Kennedy, told CNN, "This is a difficult situation for me. I love my older brother Bobby. He has extraordinary charisma and is a very gifted speaker... But due to a wide range of Bobby’s positions, I’m supporting President Biden."
His wife, actress Cheryl Hines, has said she supports his run for president. "I support my husband 100 percent and I love my husband," Hines said.
The only other announced candidate in the Democratic party is Marianne Williamson, who also ran in 2020.
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