On Politics

Mon Jun 10 2024

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress, Campaigns and Democracy Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hey OnPolitics readers! Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY he is the 2024 presidential candidate of hope. Not, as many people have accused him of, a spoiler.

In a race where many voters aren't excited for a rematch between the same two White House contenders as four years ago, Kennedy, a long-shot, third-party candidate, sees himself as the alternate they are looking for, the USA TODAY Network's Margie Cullen and Sarah D. Wire reported. Kennedy, 70, said he draws support from both Democrats and Republicans, perhaps proving that his appeal is best summed up in how he's neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump.

🗳️ Where will Kennedy be on the ballot? So far, Kennedy will be on the presidential ballot in Delaware, Oklahoma, and Utah in November. He is also expected to be on the ballot in Hawaii, Michigan and Texas. He is in the process of getting on the ballot in Nevada, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina, though he faces legal and residency challenges in several states.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

⬆️ How Robert F. Kennedy rose to prominence: While Kennedy says that he's not anti-vaccine in his campaign materials, he rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his opposition to the vaccine, spreading misinformation that they were linked to several deaths. His nonprofit organization, Children's Health Defense, also promotes falsehoods about vaccines for children.

❓What's in a name? The attempt to take up the mantle of the Kennedy name is propelling what support he has in this race, said Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a Brookings Institution fellow. Without it, Kennedy Jr. would have an even lower chance of getting on state ballots. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, and son of Robert F. Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and New York senator who was assassinated in June of 1968 during his own run for president.

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Donald Trump and Joe Biden are nearly tied nationally, in battleground states

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as a supporter looks on during a Turning Point USA event at the Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona on June 6, 2024.

The poll, released by CBS News and YouGov, shows 49% of voters across the country would likely support Biden at this point in the election, and 50% would vote for Trump.

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