Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce Monday that he will drop his Democratic bid for president and run as an independent or third-party candidate, adding a new wrinkle to a 2024 race currently heading toward a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Kennedy’s campaign has teased the announcement in the days leading up to a Monday afternoon speech in Philadelphia. In a recent video, Kennedy said there is corruption “in the leadership of both political parties” and said he wants to “rewrite the assumptions and change the habits of American politics.”

The video came shortly after Mediaite reported he planned to launch an independent bid.

  • st3ph3n@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    36
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Can’t be a spoiler candidate designed to siphon votes away from Biden in the general election if he isn’t on the ballot, hence this move to run as an independent as there’s no fucking way he would win a primary.

    • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Polls are showing hes more likely to pull votes from Trump, the “centrist antivax conspiracy both sides” nonsense.

      The Trump campaign is rearing up attacks on him now.

          • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Oh it’s even better than I thought! Not only does he take more from Trump, but he’d take more from Trump than Cornel West would take from Biden – presuming Dr. West can’t be convinced to step away.

            • Sybil@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              Cornel West would take from Biden

              i am not planning on voting cornel west instead of biden any more than i am planning on voting cornel west instead of trump. neither biden nor trump are options. if cornel west drops out, i’ll find another candidate. i heard jill stein might be running again.