RFK Jr. Embarks on Independent Presidential Run Despite Family Calling it 'Dangerous' for the Country

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing familial turmoil after his decision to run as an independent candidate resulted in public denouncement from members of the iconic Kennedy family. The lawyer, who left the Democratic Party, appeared on FOX & Friends to discuss the difficult choice and address concerns raised by his siblings. He accepted the difficulty of departing from the party associated with his family but underscored the importance of the decision. He expressed disillusionment with both major parties, citing corporate influence and the apparent paralysis within the political landscape. 

According to The Hill, Kennedy's independent run was not supported by his siblings, who released a statement: “The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third-party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country. Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment. Today’s announcement is deeply saddening for us. We denounce his candidacy and believe it to be perilous for our country,” The statement was signed by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, Rory Kennedy, and Kerry Kennedy. In response, Kennedy defended his alignment with the family's values and expressed hope for restoring a sense of hope in America, particularly among the younger generation.

In an interview, Kennedy asserted, “Leaving the party of my family is very, very difficult for me. But it was a choice that I didn't feel that I had a choice. And I feel it's the right thing right now because we're seeing that it's the same corporate donors that control both parties, and the parties are in paralysis. I think we need somebody who's going to find those areas of agreement, the values we agree on, rather than focus on these little issues that have us at each other's throats.”

As per Fox News, Kennedy’s stand against indulging in personal attacks, especially against former President Trump, shed light on his commitment to political substance over bitterness. "I feel like I have my own moral center, and I'm not going to engage in the bitter, you know, the bitterness. I hope Donald Trump will dispute me on the issues. And we can all talk about the issues that affect America, what's happening to the middle class, the systematic destruction of the middle class." Previously, Kennedy's candidacy raised concerns among some Democrats that he could split the vote and hinder the party's chances in 2024.

Kennedy has maintained that he is aligned with the core values of his father and uncle, former President John F. Kennedy. Disputing the notion that he was diverging from the family's legacy, Kennedy asserted, “Let me say, all the issues that my father and my uncle believed in, if you went down and checked the box and I would check every box. So I believe I'm very much aligned with those things. I'm aligned with a Democratic Party that stood for the working class, was skeptical of the military-industrial complex, was skeptical about corporate control of the government, that was against censorship, fiercely against censorship, and that I was against using fear as a governing tool. I would check every box." He continued, "This politics of vitriol... we have completely betrayed a generation of American kids. We need to give them something to hope for.”