Kennedy household formally endorses Biden at marketing campaign occasion in newest snub to RFK Jr

A minimum of 15 members of the Kennedy household have formally endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election on Thursday over impartial candidate, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the son of the late New York senator and lawyer basic Robert F Kennedy.

Mr Kennedy’s sister, Kerry Kennedy, mentioned she and her household have been “completely happy in the present day to pledge our unwavering assist to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris” as a result of a vote for the forty sixth president can be “a vote for our democracy and our decency”.

She additionally denounced Mr Biden’s Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump, as “probably the most anti-democratic president in American historical past”.

“Donald Trump is working to take us backwards attacking probably the most primary rights and freedoms which might be on the core of who we’re as People. He’s saying he shall be a dictator on day one, even saying he desires to droop the structure so he can go after his enemies, after his critics after the press,” she mentioned, including that Mr Trump, in her estimation, is “working to make use of his energy to punish his enemies, silence his opponents,” and unleash “extra chaos, division and political violence together with his excessive agenda”.

She additionally described Mr Biden — not her brother — as a rightful inheritor to her father’s political legacy.

“I can solely think about how Donald Trump’s outrageous lies and behavior would have horrified my father, Senator Robert F Kennedy who proudly served because the Legal professional Normal of the US and honoured his pledge to uphold the regulation and defend the nation. Daddy stood for equal justice, for human rights and freedom from need and concern, simply as President Biden does in the present day,” she mentioned.

The Kennedy household has principally rejected the rebel marketing campaign by the environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic, and can now formally again Mr Biden, who’s solely the second Catholic president, John F Kennedy being the primary.

Their endorsement of the forty sixth president got here at a marketing campaign occasion in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, and as polling between Mr Biden and former President Donald Trump tightens.

Based on some polls, a third-party candidate with excessive identify recognition comparable to Mr Kennedy might turn into a spoiler for Mr Biden by pulling away simply sufficient votes for Mr Trump to be victorious in battleground states, permitting him to win the electoral faculty.

Robert F Kennedy served as his brother’s lawyer basic, and later as a New York Senator. He was assassinated whereas working for the Democratic nomination in 1968, 5 years after the assassination of his brother.

Final month, greater than 30 members of the Kennedy household attended the White Home St Patrick’s Day celebration the place they took images with Mr Biden.

Each Republicans and Democrats are involved that with an voters less-than-enthused concerning the present candidates, Mr Kennedy could possibly seize a small however important variety of votes from them which might be decisive in November.

After the endorsement, Mr Biden and the Kennedys are set to fulfill supporters at a marketing campaign occasion and a few family members are planning on making calls and knocking on doorways in assist of Mr Biden.

Quite a few relations will not be selecting to endorse Mr Biden, comparable to Caroline Kennedy, the US ambassador to Australia, and Maria Shriver, a nonprofit chief, with the Biden marketing campaign saying it was due to their nonpolitical engagements.

Kerry Kennedy appeared on MSNBC on Thursday morning, saying, “This marketing campaign about … about democracy. It’s about freedom. It’s concerning the folks of America, not solely our nation however all all over the world. And that is why it is so, so essential for each single individual to come back out and vote … If all people votes, Biden wins. However proper now, that is going to be a really, very shut election”.

“We won’t have folks voting for third events irrespective of who they’re,” she added. “In each household … People have numerous views. It’s a must to love your loved ones members. You do not have to love them. I like Bobby, and I like Bobby. However this marketing campaign will not be about Bobby, this marketing campaign is about Trump versus Biden. And what we have to do in the present day is concentrate on Biden successful.”

The Related Press contributed to this report