In the realm of celebrity endorsements, not all are created equal. Kevin Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner tainted by allegations of sexual misconduct, made a surprising move on Monday. He announced his support for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This announcement came through a retweet of a video by Kennedy Jr. in which he reads mean tweets about himself. This surprising celebrity backing has sparked jokes on X (formerly Twitter). Also, many are quipping that it’s actually good news for President Joe Biden ‘s re-election chances.
“There’s a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in,” Spacey wrote , praising Kennedy as “a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend.” The endorsement was met with a flurry of sarcastic tweets. The online reaction suggests it could be a gift to Biden by turning off some potential Kennedy voters disturbed by the association with Spacey’s scandals. @thehowie joked , “Kevin spacey doing everything he can to help Biden!” @BenZelevansky quipped , “A powerful endorsement, but I’m gonna stay undecided until Weinstein and Cosby weigh in,” referring to convicted sex offenders Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, as per Huff Post .
There’s a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in. 🙏🏼 He’s a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend that’s not afraid to stand up for what he believes. https://t.co/DSYLbiiJjz
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) May 6, 2024
@MaxSkyNews tweeted , “Biden must be crushed not to have got such a sought-after endorsement…” @Timodc added , “Strong endorsement for RFK Jr! Let’s get this creep out on the trail!” While @nick_field90 called it “RFK Jr: The Candidate of Jeffrey Epstein and Kevin Spacey.”
RFK Jr. got the much coveted Kevin Spacey endorsement. I don’t know how the Biden campaign recovers from this. pic.twitter.com/D5A6nfccta
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) May 6, 2024
The jokes highlight the controversial nature of Spacey’s public backing, given his tarnished reputation from the accusations of misconduct against him. Though acquitted in some legal cases, Spacey’s career took a major hit after the allegations surfaced in 2017. A new documentary titled Spacey Unmasked is set to reveal fresh claims of inappropriate behavior. Despite the cloud of scandal surrounding Spacey, Kennedy does not appear to be distancing himself from the endorsement so far. He simply retweeted Spacey’s message of support.
RFK Jr: The Candidate of Jeffrey Epstein and Kevin Spacey https://t.co/XNJDgLrnYB
— Nick Field (@nick_field90) May 6, 2024
Kennedy has reportedly hosted various controversial figures like Weinstein, OJ Simpson, and Cosby at his home before. While an independent long-shot candidate, Kennedy is polling high enough to potentially play a spoiler role in swing states that decide presidential elections. Biden allies have criticized Kennedy’s candidacy, accusing him of trying to help Donald Trump by siphoning anti-Biden votes and labeling him as an ‘election spoiler,’ as per USA Today .
Biden must be crushed not to have got such a sought-after endorsement… https://t.co/F60ayhw56q
— Max Preston (@MaxSkyNews) May 6, 2024
Kennedy, who is runningly independently and is the son of attorney Robert Kennedy, is currently polling a distant third behind President Biden and former President Trump. However, Kennedy is leading sufficiently ( 8% in a Suffolk University poll that was issued on Monday) to play a significant role in the highly competitive battleground states that will determine the outcome of the race. Actor and comedian Rob Schneider, as well as quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets, are among the other celebrities that have back Kennedy.