RFK Jr. announces switch from Democratic Party to independent for 2024 presidential run

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday his switch from the Democratic Party to independent for his 2024 White House bid.

During a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, speech which his campaign billed as a “historic announcement,” Kennedy, 69, spoke in front of a sign that read “declare your independence.”

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“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate,” he told the crowd. His announcement was followed by chants of “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.”

“That’s not all. I’m here to join you in making a new declaration of independence for our entire nation,” he added. “We declare independence from the corporations that have hijacked our government. We declare independence from Wall Street, from Big Tech, from Big Pharma, from big [agriculture], and the military contractors and their lobbyists.”

“We declare independence from the mercenary media that is here to fortify all of the corporate orthodoxies from their advertisers and urge us to hate our neighbors and to fear our friends,” he continued. “We declare independence from the cynical elites who betray our hope and amplify our divisions.”

Matt Rourke/AP

“Finally, we declare independence from the two political parties,” Kennedy said.

According to him, this declaration is necessary because these things “are incompatible with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Kennedy, the son of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, has cut into President Joe Biden’s Democratic primary support throughout his campaign, which was launched in April. In a recent poll, he posted 17% to Biden’s 70%.

But Kennedy has seen support across the political spectrum.

A new poll from Reuters/Ipsos last week showed that he could hypothetically secure the votes of 1 in 7 voters in a matchup between himself, former President Donald Trump, and Biden. In a poll between the three, he garnered 14%, while Biden had 31% and Trump had 33%. The measure shows Kennedy pulling support from both men.

In another key metric, Kennedy has seen an advantage over both Biden and Trump. When it comes to favorability, 47% of registered voters have a “very” or “somewhat favorable” opinion of him. This is higher than the favorability ratings of Trump, 40%, and Biden, 43%.

Further, Kennedy also boasts better favorability numbers among independent voters, who are expected to decide the close 2024 matchup. Trump and Biden are considered “very” or “somewhat favorable” by 34% of independents each. Kennedy has a 10-point advantage on the two, with 44% favorability among the group.

The most stark contrast between Kennedy’s numbers and Biden’s and Trump’s is his unfavorability rating. Both Biden and Trump are considered “very” or “somewhat unfavorable” by more than half of registered voters, with 54% and 57%, respectively. Kennedy, however, is only considered unfavorable by 33%.

During his Monday announcement, Kennedy described his decision to run as an independent as painful, explaining his family’s history within the Democratic Party. However, he said, “My sacrifice is nothing compared to the risk our Founding Fathers took when they signed the Declaration of Independence 247 years ago.”

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He noted that there have been independent presidential candidates before, but said, “This time it’s going to be different, because this time, the independent is gonna win.”

Kennedy pointed to concerns over Biden’s age, 80, as well as Trump’s legal battles.

“That’s what two-party politics has given us. And that’s why we need to pry loose from the hammerlock of the corrupt powers in Washington, D.C., and make this nation ours again,” he said.