A Kennedy in the White House? We are not in 1960 but in 2024 and this time, “JFK” has made way for his nephew in the November presidential race. Robert Kennedy Jr, the son of Bob Kennedy, himself a candidate in 1968 before being assassinated, hopes to disrupt the announced remake of the Trump-Biden duel. For the moment, this 70-year-old former lawyer has a favorable dynamic, with the polls giving him between 15 and 20% of the votes, an unprecedented score for an independent candidate.
Another first, a member of the Kennedy family does not wear Democratic colors. Initially, JFK's nephew was engaged in the party primaries. But faced with the lack of fervor generated by his candidacy, Robert Kennedy Jr, nicknamed “RFK”, chose to run without this support.
A betrayal for the rest of the Kennedys. “Robert Kennedy is disowned by the entire family. A good number of its members have also published a photo at the White House with Joe Biden,” explains Ludivine Gilly, director of the North America observatory at the Jean Jaurès foundation.
From one proud Irish family to another — it was good to have you all back at the White House. https://t.co/x62TsIYWVu
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 18, 2024
Since then, the 70-year-old candidate's campaign has accelerated. On Tuesday March 26, he chose his running mate: Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer from Silicon Valley. Shanahan, like Kennedy Jr, comes from the Democratic camp. In the past, both have already shown their support for leading Democratic candidates such as Hillary Clinton in 2016.
An openly anti-vax candidate
However, a sudden turnaround took place after the 2020 epidemic. Robert Kennedy quickly became an anti-vax figure, not hesitating to put forward conspiracy theories. On August 29, 2020, he made the link between Covid and the implementation of 5G. In 2022, a new controversy erupts when he compares the Biden government's vaccine measures and Hitler's anti-Semitic policy. Positions which had the effect of increasing its notoriety among anti-vaxxers. “For some voters, the subject of vaccines is essential. They will therefore go towards Robert Kennedy,” underlines Ludivine Gilly.
But RFK's positioning is not limited to his opposition to American vaccine policy. He is also a fervent defender of the environment. He is particularly committed against large polluting industrial groups like Monsanto and in favor of the preservation of nature.
On the economy, his program aims to be anti-capitalist, with the destruction of the American central bank as a flagship measure. Finally, internationally, contrary to the Democrats who distance themselves from Israel, Robert Kennedy Jr displays firm support for the Jewish state.
A program assimilated to populism which convinces both the right and the left. “Robert Kennedy can attract Republicans and Democrats,” says Ludivine Gilly.
“An outsider who benefits from the Kennedy name”
Last frequently used campaign argument: the connection with the Kennedys. Robert does not hesitate to use the visual codes of his uncle JFK in presentation videos. A crucial link according to Ludivine Gilly: “He is an outsider who benefits from the Kennedy name. No one would talk about it today if they didn't have that connection to the family. »
Our momentum is growing. It's time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country. 🇺🇸#Kennedy24 pic.twitter.com/6rwXW3AwAp
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 12, 2024
But what could be the goals of the former lawyer, in an election where the leading roles are promised to Trump and Biden? According to Ludivine Gilly, victory is not the primary objective of the independent candidate: “There is no path to power that we can read for Robert Kennedy. » But if the latter has no chance of winning, it could nevertheless “cause one or the other of the main candidates to lose”, she concludes.